One Technique To Help Children With ADHD To Focus

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that begins in childhood at the age of seven & can persist in adulthood. It is associated with impaired development of the child’s nervous system. Symptoms include inattention, excessive activity, & impulsive behavior.

Treatments include medication and talk therapy. One of the ways to help children with ADHD to focus is by using yoga and breathing exercises.

A recent study by the psychologists at the Ural University made promising conclusions to help children with ADHD to focus. The study was published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry. They studied the effect of exercise on voluntary control & regulation in children with ADHD.

Sergey Kiselev, head of the Laboratory of Brain and Neurocognitive Development at UrFU, head of the study says, “For children with ADHD, as a rule, the part of the brain that is responsible for the regulation of brain activity — the reticular formation — is deficient. 

We used a special breathing exercise based on the development of diaphragmatic rhythmic deep breathing — belly breathing which helps to better supply brain with oxygen & helps the reticular formation to better cope with its role, beginning to better regulate a child's activity.

After the training, children were able to engage in complex activities, their hyperactivity decreased, attention increased & they got less tired for a longer period. The psychologists used body-oriented techniques, in particular, exercises with polar states “tension-relaxation".

The training was for 2-3 months, 3 times /week. Sergey Kiselev says, “Exercise has an immediate effect that appears immediately, but there is also a delayed effect. We found, exercise has a positive effect on regulation & control functions in them 1 year after end of exercise.

This happens because the child’s correct breathing is automated, it becomes a kind of assistant that allows a better supply of oxygen to the brain, which, in turn, has a beneficial effect on the behavior and psyche of a child with ADHD”.

The credit of this technique goes to the Russian neuropsychologist Anna Semenovich as it was developed by her as part of a neuropsychological correction technique. UrFU psychologists tested how well this approach helps children with ADHD.

Yoga and breathing exercises like Pranayama also have other benefits like mindfulness, strengthens the lungs, clears mind, reduces stress, increases alertness, strengthens the immune system, improves the digestive system functions, reduces insomnia and improves the sleep quality.