To Fidget or Not to Fidget, That Is the Question: A Systematic Classroom Evaluation of Fidget Spinners Among Young Children With ADHD

Abstract

Objective: To examine how fidget spinners affect children with ADHD’s gross motor activity and attentional functioning in class, both during the initial and final phase of an intensive evidence-based behavioral treatment. Method: Using an A-B-A-B design, 60 children (Mage = 4.86 years, 83% Hispanic) diagnosed with ADHD participated in the study. Following a baseline period, four random children from each classroom were given fidget spinners across three separate days (n = 48). Children wore accelerometers and were videotaped for 5-min during class in which attentional data were coded. Results: During the initial phase of treatment (but not during the final phase), the use of fidget spinners was associated with a decrease in activity levels. Children’s use of fidget spinners was associated with poorer attention across both phases of treatment. Conclusion: Fidget spinners negatively influence young children with ADHD’s attentional functioning, even in the context of an evidence-based classroom intervention.