Saturday, June 18, 2016

Helping children with ADHD could be as easy as enrolling them in Tae Kwon Do classes

Some parents will try anything to help their child who is suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, looking for a cure for the condition that can affect the development of their son or daughter. One common method that is believed to treat ADHD is computer-based training programs that can stimulate cognitive functions. While these initiatives have been found to allow children to work on their short-term memory, psychology professor Mark Rapport and his team of researchers at University of Central Florida found that these computer-based training programs are not proven to treat kids with ADHD.
"Parents are desperate for help," said Rapport, who runs the Children's Learning Clinic IV at UCF. "If they can afford it, they are willing to spend the money, and some parents even enroll their children in private schools because they offer these cognitive training programs. But there is no empirical evidence to show those investments are worthwhile."
The programs don't improve working memory
One of the biggest problems faced by children with ADHD is their working memory suffers greatly. Kids with a strong working memory are usually solid performers in school, well-behaved and easy to get along with. After Rapport and his team analyzed data from 25 studies on the matter, they concluded that computer-based training programs do not create opportunities for long-term cognitive improvements.
Rapport doesn't discount the value of the learning systems, but he does imply that parents should save their money if they are hoping these computer-based training programs will help cure their son or daughter of ADHD. Perhaps enrolling children in Tae Kwon Do training classes is a better investment.
Turn extra energy into positive energy
Many children who suffer from ADHD are constantly bouncing off the walls, which is exactly why it may be a good idea for their parents to get them involved in Tae Kwon Do. Training and learning the techniques of the martial arts gives kids an opportunity to channel their extra energy into focus to quickly develop an understanding of the tenets of Tae Kwon Do.
Instructors often express to their students that they need to have a strong mind before a strong body. Children will have to learn how to train their minds to succeed in Tae Kwon Do and the development of their skills will begin to take care of itself. Considering Tae Kwon Do as a way to help children with ADHD can be a solid alternative to medicating them or making them complete computer-based training programs that don't have the same results.
See how we can help your child with ADHD.  Call 903-243-8767 or visit www.sulphurspringsata.com to start today!

Originally published at KickSite Mat Chat newslietter March 2013