Three-pronged and pocket sized, fidget spinners have sold millions online and in stores across the country, but many still question what true effectiveness fidgets have with easing the symptoms of ADHD.
These toys have existed in some form since 1993 but have only recently gained popularity this summer. They are made in endless designs and colors and are sold for anywhere between $2 and $1,000. The original fidget spinner was created as an outlet for children to help calm nerves, but the question of effectiveness remains.
Dr. Russell Barkley, an ADHD expert from Virginia, said fidget spinners are more of a diversion than anything else.
“[Fidget spinners] would not help,†Barkley said. “They are more than just movement-inducing — they are attention-getting.â€
Barkley said fidget spinners are more distracting than helpful because they require more attention and interaction than other anxiety-relieving toys.
“Stress balls may help due to repetitive movement,†Barkley said. “Spinners do not require that much movement.â€
Students and moterately proffesional editors play with fidget spinners on U of M campus. Though the packaging of spinners often imply that they ease symptoms of ADHD, many experts classify them as toys.
Gina Pera is an ADHD expert from California and the author of “Is it You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?†She said she would also consider fidget spinners to be a distraction.
“Fidget toys and their marketing hustle do not take the place of legitimate evidence based treatment for ADHD,†Pera said.
Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, author of “The Gift of ADHD†and another ADHD expert from California, said she thinks otherwise.
“Fidgets can help absorb the hyperactivity and prevent the impulse to interrupt others,†Honos-Webb said.
Fidget spinners can also help one become more attentive, according to Honos-Webb.
“They can help people listen better by offering more stimulation that the brain is seeking,†Honos-Webb said.
Although she said they can be useful, Honos-Webb said fidget spinners can be counterproductive if one were to get used to them.
“It can interfere with social development,†Honos-Webb said. “Others may perceive the other to not be paying attention.â€
In addition to the use of toys like fidget spinners, Honos-Webb said there are other ways to ease symptoms of ADHD and help one focus.
“You can keep your mind focused on the words of another person while deliberately taking slow breaths,†Honos-Webb said. “This will calm you down and increase ability to focus.â€
She also said repetition is another way to stay focused.Â
“You can practice repeating back a word or phrase as a challenge to yourself to stay focused to listen to others,†Honos-Webb said.
Overall, Honos-Webb said one should follow six micro skills to better combat ADHD. These include focusing on positivity, goal setting (sequencing and prioritizing) and “chunking,†a term derived from psychology and linguistic analysis that means grouping togetherÂ
connected items or words so that they can be stored or processed as single concepts. They also include motivational enhancement (overcoming resistance), emotional regulation and stress management.
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