September 20, 2019 — Weighted vests and stability balls do not help elementary schoolers with ADHD focus in class, according to a new study by researchers at FIU’s Center for Children and Families.
This is the first study to evaluate the effect of occupational therapy (OT) techniques, specifically weighted vests and stability balls, on classroom behavior and academic productivity in elementary-aged children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The study also looked at the effect of stimulant medication and its combination with each of the OT interventions. Results revealed that low doses of medication in addition to behavioral classroom management techniques, such as rewards for positive behavior, led to improvements in classroom behavior and academic productivity for children with ADHD while the OT interventions did not.
ADHD is among the most common childhood mental health disorders and affects at least one child in every elementary school classroom in the U.S., but approximately one third of these children do not receive school support.
“Schools should allocate funds toward implementing behavioral approaches rather than giving children devices such as weighted vests or stability balls,” said Fiona Macphee, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the FIU Department of Psychology.
Researchers assessed 64 children with ADHD ages 5 to 12 in a controlled classroom setting during the Summer Treatment Program. The use of stability balls and weighted vests was randomized daily by classroom for 60 minutes a day over a six-week period. Medication or a placebo was also given to children for three weeks.
Macphee explained the theories guiding the use of both weighted vests and stability balls are scientifically unsupported. Yet, in a survey of general education teachers, 47 percent reported that they were either currently using or had used stability balls in the past.
New York City public schools spent an estimated $58 million in 2014 on occupational therapy interventions — a $20 million increase from just five years prior. Similarly, Chicago experienced a 30 percent increase in OT referrals over five years. For Los Angeles, the increase was 20 percent over three years. Approximately 10.8 percent of children with ADHD in special education settings receive OT interventions in school. Macphee says it is important to systematically evaluate whether those therapies provide the best support for children with ADHD.
“Behavioral therapy is the best first-step treatment for children with ADHD because they learn skills and strategies that will help them succeed at school, at home and in relationships long-term,” said William E. Pelham, Jr., director of the Center for Children and Families and co-author of the study. “School staff and parents should be working together to set goals for the child to target areas of need and set up a home reward system to provide and/or restrict privileges at home based on school behavior.”
The findings were published in the School Psychology Review.
About the FIU Center for Children and Families:
The Center for Children and Families is a Preeminent Program at Florida International University comprised of a nationally recognized team of researchers and service providers committed to improving the lives of children and families struggling with mental health problems. The CCF is a one-stop care facility that provides effective, low-cost treatments to more than 3,000 families each year through clinical services and research programs. With a team of more than 30 of the nation’s best researchers and experts, the assistance of federal funding and university partnerships, the CCF continues to make discoveries about the cause, process, effects and treatment of child and adolescent mental health disorders. Since its establishment in 2010, the CCF has secured more than $133m in external funding for research from sources like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Institution of Education Sciences (IES), the National Science Foundation (NSF), The Children’s Trust and the State of Florida, among others. The CCF also provides training and education to hundreds of students, and continuing education opportunities in evidence-based approaches to thousands of psychologists, mental health professionals and educators nationwide.
About FIU:
Florida International University is Miami’s public research university. FIU is focused on student success. According to U.S. News and World Report, FIU has 35 programs in the top 100 in the nation among public universities, including 15 in the top 50. FIU is a top U.S. research university with more than $200 million in annual expenditures and is designated as an “Emerging Preeminent State Research University” by the Florida Board of Governors. FIU ranks 15th in the nation among public universities for patent production, which drives innovation, and is one of the institutions that helps make Florida the top state for higher education. The Next Horizon fundraising campaign is furthering FIU’s commitment to providing students Worlds Ahead opportunities. Today, FIU has two campuses and multiple centers, and supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA, with more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. The university has awarded more than 330,000 degrees to many leaders in South Florida and beyond. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.
