Fidget+or+Focus

= = = = =Overview =  Fidget spinners have become the latest craze amongst students to appear in classrooms. Spinners have been around since the early 90’s but have exploded onto the national scene recently. Their popularity has led to some schools completely banning the item from the school altogether because there are students who spend more time focusing on the spinner rather than their classwork. Some educators and parents have found the item beneficial for their children. The device is used by holding the stationary center between two fingers. Using a separate finger, the operator can spin the two or three prongs at different speeds. For some this creates a soothing and calming sensation. There are studies that have found this action beneficial for people that have issues with ADHD, autism, and anxiety (Sarver et al., 2015). When students are expected to sit quietly and focus on completing their state mandated test, they can have trouble staying still and begin to lose focus. By using a fidget spinner, the student is able to use the small handheld device to burn off excess nervous energy. By having on outlet for their excess energy, the student is better able to focus on the task at hand. However, one reason fidget spinners are being banned from schools is because they are distractions for other students in the classroom. Students will focus their attention on a spinner more than they will on their classwork.

 As of May 18, 2017, there are no scientifically published articles proving that fidget spinners help with ADHD, autism, or anxiety. In fact, there have been some therapist that say they would never endorse fidget spinners as coping tool to help ADHD, autism, and anxiety. Stephen Poss, an occupational therapist in Maryland, said “I haven’t seen any scientific evidence on fidget spinners. From what I’ve observed, they are just a distraction. I wouldn’t recommend them to my patients.” But that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from promoting them as “ADHD focus anxiety relief toys” or “toy stress reducer – perfect for ADD, ADHD, Anxiety and Autism (Schneider, 2017).”

 The Fidget Spinner Association (FSA) is an international association leading the fight for individuals, whom they refer to as “fidgeters”, to use fidget spinners in schools and workplaces. The Executive Director of the FSA, Jill Dooley, said “fidget spinners are critical accessories for individuals with anxiety, ADHD, excess energy and fidgety hands.” Dooley announced that the FSA had begun an investigation into the actions of schools that have banned fidget spinners and is exploring legal options against administrators from taking someone’s private property. The FSA also offers reviews of different spinners and will be hosting the first ever World Spinner Championships this November in New York City (Fidget Spinner Association, n. d.).

 James Farley, a professor with the Department of Psychology at the University of Alberta, conducted a study where individuals had to pay attention to a lecture video for 40 minutes. At 5 minute intervals, he and his staff would measure the focus and alertness of the individuals. At the end of the lecture the test participants were assessed over the material presented in the lecture. Farley found that focus and attention of the participants to the lecture would decline over time. He also noticed that fidgeting increased over time and that fidgeting had a positive relation with higher retention scores. Participants who fidgeted more were able to focus more leading to higher scores on the assessment at the end (Farley, Risko, & Kingstone, 2013). This gives reason that if a student has a device that gives them a limited outlet for their excess energy, they may be able to have better focus on their school assignments which will lead to higher grades.

 For some time, educators have thought in order to help children with ADHD focus on schoolwork they need to calm down and limit the child’s hyperactivity. A study in 2015 shows that the opposite should take place. Mark Rapport, head of the Children’s Learning Clinic at the University of Central Florida, noted that children with ADHD in his study performed better on standardized test when they were sitting on activity balls or exercise bikes. Similar to Farley’s study, if children were given an outlet for their hyperactivity they are able to focus and perform better on the task that is given to them (Sarver et al., 2015). Instead of suppressing a child’s hyperactivity to have them focus, the hyperactivity can be harnessed and used to help the student focus.

=Trend or Issue =  The use of fidget spinners in a classroom is only a trend. The popularity of these toys may continue to rise but it is unclear how long school administrators will allow them on school premises. While there are studies out there that suggest fidgeting can beneficial to helping students concentrate on work, none of the studies suggest that fidget spinners are the best device to harness a student’s excess energy.

 Fidget spinners can be an outlet of excess energy but only if used in a particular way. If a student spins the object above the top of their desk, then the fidget spinner can become a visual distraction not only for the student using it but for the other students around them. The best way to use a fidget spinner is for the student to keep it under their desktop. This way the optical distraction for all students is limited and the user can quietly fidget. There are several different spinner designs that students can choose from. Some glow in the dark, others sparkle with a glitter pattern on them, and they even have fidget spinners that light up when they spin. These types of spinners not only take away the attention of the user but also the attention of other students around them.

 There are other devices and accessories that allow students to fidget and focus without being a classroom distraction. One of those is a fidget cube. On each side of the cube there is a different fidget option. Some options are a small joystick, a ball bearing that rolls, and even a simple button that can be pressed multiple times. The small size of the cube allows it to fit in the student’s pants pocket and limits the distraction for other students. Other fidget tools that students can utilize are stress relieve balls and silly putty (Wright, n. d.). Special education teachers have now also found regular household items that can be repurposed to help harness a student’s excess energy. In school’s teachers have taken a normal exercise band and stretched it across the legs of an ADHD students desk. The student can bounce their feet off of the band while working on their school work (I. Hutchins, personal communication, May 19, 2017).

There is not a single uniform method to have all students focus better. There are students who can focus better in small isolated groups and some who are able to focus when chaos is erupting around them. In today’s classrooms teachers have not been advised on how to implement “out of the box” attention focusing techniques. This has allowed students to bring in their own outside devices. The student’s intentions were meant to be positive, but the lack of understanding of how to use the devices correctly has led to not only focusing problems for the students but also classroom management issues for the teacher. Students should be allowed to practice any focusing method that works for them. If this trend is not adjusted or corrected it could turn into an issue for all those involved.

=Resources =

Farley, J., Risko, E. F., & Kingstone, A. (2013). Everyday attention and lecture retention: The effects of time, fidgeting, and mind wandering. //Frontiers In Psychology,// 4 This article shows how over the course of a single lesson students will loose attention but students who fidget have a better chance at retaining attention.

Fidget Spinner Association. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2017, from https://www.fidgetspinnerassociation.com/ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">This association claims they will seek to keep fidget spinner use by students allowed in school.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Sarver, D.E., Rapport, M.D., Kofler, M.J. et al. J Abnorm Child Psychol (2015) 43: 1219. doi:10.1007/s10802-015-0011-1 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">This article shows that students with ADHD perform better on assessments when they are allowed to fidget on activity balls and exercise bikes.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Schneider, R. (May 2, 2017). //Fidget Spinner Manufacturers Are Marketing Their Toys as a// //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Treatment for ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">. Retrieved May 25, 2017, from https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/lets-investigate-the-nonsense-claim-that-fidget-spinners-can-treat-adhd-autism-and-anxiety <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">This article shows how fidget spinner companies claim to help students with ADHD and how doctors refute those claims.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Schuleb, M. (2015, April 17). Kids with ADHD Must Squirm to Learn, UCF Study Says. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from https://today.ucf.edu/kids-with-adhd-must-squirm-to-learn/ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Students with ADHD can perform better on assessments if they have a healthy outlet for their excess energy.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Wright, L. (n.d.). //5 Types of Fun Fidgets for Kids with ADHD.// Retrieved May 25, 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/5-types-of-fun-fidgets-for-kids-with-adhd#slide-5 <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">This article highlights fidget toys other than the fidget spinner.