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Coping with AD/HD

Coping with AD/HD. A study conducted by. Andrea Faber Taylor, Frances E. Kuo, and William C. Sullivan. Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With funding from.

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Coping with AD/HD

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  1. Coping with AD/HD

  2. A study conducted by Andrea Faber Taylor, Frances E. Kuo, and William C. Sullivan Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  3. With funding from • The Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture • The USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program on the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council • The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  4. Take home message

  5. Take home message Children’s AD/HD symptoms are better after activities in green settings.

  6. Presentation outline • What is AD/HD? • Why Study Coping with AD/HD? • The Approach • The Findings • So What?

  7. What is AD/HD?

  8. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is characterized by severe difficulties with inattention and impulsivity.

  9. AD/HD symptoms include • restlessness • outbursts • trouble listening • difficulty following directions • problems focusing on tasks

  10. Why Study Coping with AD/HD?

  11. Why should we focus on AD/HD? • AD/HD is relatively common, occurring in roughly 7% of school-age children.

  12. Why should we focus on AD/HD? • AD/HD is relatively common, occurring in roughly 7% of school-age children. • AD/HD is linked to poor academic performance.

  13. Why should we focus on AD/HD? • AD/HD is relatively common, occurring in roughly 7% of school-age children. • AD/HD is linked to poor academic performance. • AD/HD can have long-lasting effects on social development.

  14. New treatment options are needed for AD/HD because • behavioral therapies help, but not much

  15. New treatment options are needed for AD/HD because • Behavioral therapies help, but not much. • stimulant medications are better, but have several problems

  16. Problems with stimulant medication: • They often have serious side effects.

  17. Problems with stimulant medication: • They often have serious side effects. • They help only 9 out of 10 children with AD/HD.

  18. Problems with stimulant medication: • They often have serious side effects. • They help only 9 out of 10 children with AD/HD. • There is no evidence they improve long-term social and academic outcomes.

  19. Cost is a further problem with all current treatments. $

  20. But are there any other treatment options? ?

  21. Contact with nature restores attention in the general population.

  22. One explanation comes from Attention Restoration Theory.(Kaplan, S. 1995)

  23. According to Attention Restoration Theory • Nature is engaging, so attracts our attention effortlessly. • This allows deliberate attention to rest. • Restored deliberate attention is then available when needed.

  24. Since the underlying problem in AD/HD seems to be one of attention…

  25. Perhaps exposure to nature can improve AD/HD symptoms?

  26. The Approach

  27. Parents of children with AD/HD were asked to complete a survey.

  28. The participants: • 96 parents or guardians of children with AD/HD aged 7-12

  29. The participants: • 96 parents or guardians of children with AD/HD aged 7-12 • recruited through ads and flyers in the Midwest

  30. The participants: • 96 parents or guardians of children with AD/HD aged 7-12 • recruited through ads and flyers in the Midwest • ratio of boys to girls in sample same as in AD/HD populations in general (3:1)

  31. The survey asked parents to • nominate activities that especially affected functioning – “best activities” and “worst activities”

  32. The survey asked parents to • nominate activities that especially affected functioning – “best activities” and “worst activities” • rate the aftereffects of activities, grouped by setting, on symptoms

  33. The relationship between greenness of activity settings and symptom severity was examined.

  34. The Findings

  35. Was there a relationship between activities that most affect functioning and the greenness of their setting?

  36. Likely settings of activities nominated as “Best” and “Worst” for AD/HD symptoms

  37. Was there a relationship between greenness of activity setting and ratings of post-activity symptoms?

  38. Mean symptom ratings for activities in different greenness settings Better4 3.8 Mean rating of AD/HD symptoms after activities 3.6 3.4 3.2 Same3 Much worse 1 Indoors Built outdoor Green outdoor Activity Setting

  39. So What?

  40. Activities in green settings were more likely to lead to improved AD/HD symptoms.

  41. Activities that led to worsened AD/HD symptoms were more likely to occur indoors or in barren outdoor settings.

  42. Outdoor play in green settings should help children with AD/HD function better.

  43. Green play settings are widely accessible, inexpensive to use, and free of side effects.

  44. Tips for parents, teachers, and caregivers: • Encourage children to play outside in green yards or parks and advocate recess in green schoolyards.

  45. Tips for parents, teachers, and caregivers: • Encourage children to play outside in green yards or parks and advocate recess in green schoolyards. • Observe which activities and settings improve children’s symptoms.

  46. Tips for parents, teachers, and caregivers: • Encourage children to play outside in green yards or parks and advocate recess in green schoolyards. • Observe which activities and settings improve children’s symptoms. • Value and care for trees.

  47. Caring for trees means caring for people!

  48. To share this information with others • Copies of this presentation and other, written materials for nonscientific audiences may be obtained at <www.herl.uiuc.edu> • To quote this information in print, please consult the original scientific journal article: Faber Taylor, A., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (2001). Coping with ADD: The surprising connection to green play settings. Environment & Behavior, 33(1), 54-77. Available at www.herl.uiuc.edu

  49. To learn more: On AD/HD incidence, symptoms, and treatments Barkley, R.A. (1997). Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: Constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psych Bulletin, 12, 65-94. Bender, W.N. (1997). Understanding ADHD: A practical guide for teachers and parents. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Fiore, T.A., Becker, E.A., Nero, R.C. (1993). Interventions for students with attention deficits. Exceptional Children, 60, 163-173. Hinshaw, S.P. (1994). Attention deficits and hyperactivity in children (Vol. 29). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. National Institute of Mental Health. (1994). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (No. 94-3572). Washington, DC: NIMH.

  50. To learn more: On nature and attention Hartig, T., Mang, M., Evans, G.W. (1991). Restorative effects of natural environment experiences. Environment & Behavior, 23, 3-26. Miles, I., Sullivan, W., Kuo, F. (1998). Ecological restoration volunteers: The benefits of participation. Urban Ecosystems, 2, 27-41. Tennessen, C.M., Cimprich, B. (1995). Views to nature: Effects on attention. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 77-85. On Attention Restoration Theory Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169-182.

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