The U of I study reported that being outdoors can lessen hyperactivity and impulsivity in children more effectively than can a walk in a congested urban area.
Dr. Frances Kuo and Andrea Faber tested a group of seventeen children (ages 7 to 12) with Attention Deficit Disorder after they had taken two 20-minute walks. After the "green" walk in the park, the children did "shockingly better" on a neurocognitive test, and showed improvements in attention and impulse control, according to Dr. Kuo.
Dr. Kuo has done other studies demonstrating that "green time," especially time spent in wilderness areas, helps children with ADHD.
Some child psychiatrists warned that while the results of this study are interesting, the number of children is too small to be significant. The study would need to be duplicated within a larger trial to be significant.
Labels: treatment, exercise, rustic_environment
Posted By: Aspen Education Group
