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Can iPhone apps help those with ADHD?

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A child playing with his iPhone amidst a sea of Leggos from Shutterstock.
A child playing with his iPhone amidst a sea of Leggos from Shutterstock.
Twin Design

Most parents start to worry when they see their children glued to their electronics, playing games for hours, but what if these electronic video games could actually help those with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), South Africa’s most commonly diagnosed chronic childhood disorder?

Smartphone, tablet and computer games have literally been game changers for children with ADHD, as they have come to improve children’s self-confidence, working memory and social skills.

In the last decade, ADHD has become an overused term to describe anyone who is easily bored or distracted. However, in reality, ADHD is a neurological disorder that has affected many people all around the world.

Those diagnosed with ADHD often find their work and academic performance affected by their disorder.

ADHD can affect a person’s ability to remember simple tasks; to stay focused on a task for long periods of time; it can cause those affected to fidget, making it hard for them to keep still; and it can make one too hasty when trying to make decisions.

Those diagnosed with ADHD have trouble remembering things because they are easily distracted by the things that surround them. Therefore, improving their working memory capacity teaches them to pay closer attention to things, manage their emotions better, resist distractions and learn.

If you type the words “brain training games” into your smartphone’s App Store, more than 1,000 results will pop up claiming that they can help train your brain.

When a child plays these games, she will most likely be presented with a number of tasks that will challenge her mind. As each task is completed, the levels get harder and harder. These brain challenging games have been proven to train distracted children to pay more attention.

In 2002, a psychologist, Torkel Klingberg, at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute published a study examining 14 children with ADHD. All of the children were asked to play video games for a total of 10.5 hours over a five-week period. These games put a high demand on the children’s working memory.

Seven of the children only played the games at beginner’s level; the other seven children played the game as the levels got harder and harder, which meant that they also got better and better.

The study found that the children who improved by playing the game had improved their working memory as well. Their hyperactivity also decreased.

Though medical professionals and therapists believe these games are a great way to train easily distracted children to stay focused, they are not treatments for ADHD as such. Behavioural therapy and medication are the best ways to treat the condition. 

Read more:

Taking control of ADHD

Can omega-3 reduce antisocial behaviour in children?



Sources: Venture Beat, Additude MagazineThe Atlantic and SA Pharmaceutical Journal


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