ADHD and Fidget Spinners

• Posted on October 7, 2018
• Raza Jaffri
• No Comments
• ADHD, Blog

By Fatima Ali

We may feel at times that giving our children toys or gadgets is not good for them but we need to understand that this is not the case for every single gadget. Some toys and gadgets can increase the child’s creativity and even promote socialization. Likewise, for children with ADHD or Autism, more specific and targeted gadgets or toys need to be used as they can help them in countless ways.

Perhaps the most highlighted feature of ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is that the individual suffering from this disorder has difficulty in paying attention. In addition to this, other symptoms like hyperactivity and impulsivity, also follow. However, when talking about fidget spinners being used for children with ADHD there are many contradicting arguments.

Fidget spinners are small gadgets that can spin between the user’s fingers. Many fidget spinner users claim that this gadget helps them relieve stress. But how can these fidget spinners be beneficial for children with ADHD? According to the ADHD Institute website, fidget spinners can help in improving hand-eye coordination as well as the balancing skills of children with ADHD. Moreover, fidget spinners can be used as coping equipment for children having sensory-processing issues as the movement spinning from these gadgets can help children with ADHD to focus better.

Nevertheless, many educators argue that fidget spinners in a classroom setting cause a decrease in the attention span of the children. Moreover, the small size of this gadget may pose as a safety threat as it may lead to choking if a young child puts it in his/her mouth. Therefore, this goes without saying that if you give your ADHD child this gadget, you need to monitor the timings as well as be present when the child uses the spinner to avoid any accident.

In my opinion, to increase the productivity of children with ADHD, fidget spinners should be used but the timings must be appropriately controlled and it should be given to the child under the supervision of an adult.