Last week I made a Youtube video about Fidget Toys and ADHD. From years of research, including reading books like Fidget to Focus by Sarah Wright and Roland Rotz, I know that Fidgeting can really benefit Children and Adults with ADD / ADHD. I do believe that most of the fidget toys out there DO help those with ADD / ADHD Focus better. However, these toys are not appropriate for all situations or all environments.
As people with ADHD, having social skills and understanding what is socially acceptable are both extremely important. Not all strategies and accommodations for ADHD are acceptable in all situations. For example my friend and fellow ADHD Coach Becca Colao finds that she focuses better while reading when she is upside down. This is great strategy for her to use when she is at home on her bed or couch. This strategy would not be appropriate to use in meetings or while riding on a train.
Some of the Fidget Toys out there are safe, quiet, and socially acceptable. Some of them out there are distracting, dangerous and annoying to other people. Just like hanging upside down while reading isn’t acceptable in all situations, Fidget Toys are not acceptable in all situations. Like I said in my video, use common sense when comes to the use of Fidget Toys or any accommodation or tool.
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2 replies to "ADHD Fidget Toy Controversy"
This article was very interesting in terms of controversy in the ADHD community. This is very familiar to the “Indigo Child” theory that provoked controversy in the late 1990’s. Although there are many components to this theory, one of those is that children diagnosed with ADHD actually possess supernatural abilities. Others who support this theory view it from a more scientific approach, claiming it could be an evolutionary trait in human thinking. Regardless, substitutes for treatment and diagnoses stand to possibly hurt or help young developing minds. It would appear to be all a matter of perspective.
My son needs something to fidget with in the classroom. He begged me for a fidget spinner to use in the classroom. I knew it would be more of a distraction than a help. During homework, I decided to let him use the fidget spinner and sure enough, I was right. He constantly took breaks from his homework to spin and admire the fidget spinner. I’m glad I went with my common sense.