The Use and Impact of Video
Games and Digital Media for
Children with ADHD
Randy Kulman, Ph.D.
Gary Stoner, Ph. D.
CHADD annual conference 2012
LearningWorks for kids
www.learningworksforkids.com
@lw4k
Presentation Disclosure
Randy Kulman, Ph.D. commercial interests:
President, Majority Stockholder, LearningWorks for
Kids, Inc.
Cogmed Working Memory provider
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Overview
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What do we know about children with ADHD and
video games?
Why use video games and digital media to help
children with ADHD?
What are the characteristics of interventions proven to
work with children with ADHD?
Why do children with ADHD not become scholars
after playing video games?
What can we do to make video games a more
productive learning tool for children with ADHD?
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What do we know about ADHD kids
and video games?
Clinical and anecdotal
observations - too much and
often too intensely! (but this is
exactly why we need to use this
behavior)
No research evidence of
difference concerning frequency
or duration of play between
ADHD and typically-developing
children ages 10 to 12.
Similar enjoyment for the same
types of games (Bioulac 2008).
South County Child and Family
Consultants Data
LWK study of ADHD kids and
parents on video game play
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(Current sample of 90 children with a primary
ADHD diagnosis based upon a full
neuropsychological evaluation)
Survey asks parents to describe their own
media usage to see if it is correlated to
attitudes regarding video games
Also asks them to describe their concerns
and hopes for benefits of video games and
other digital media
Digital media use of ADHD kids- Most time
television, video games, music (different from
what is seen in national studies of typically
developing kids)
Children, parents, and video game play
How many hours a week does your child spend
playing video games?
34% Less than 1 hour per
32% 2-4 hours
20% 5-7 hours
13% 8+ hours
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How many hours per week do you spend
observing or interacting with your child when they
play video games?
23% no time
46% less than 1 hour
27% 1-5 hours
4% 6+ hours
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Children, parents, and video game play
Do you play video games with your child?
25% Never
57% Sometimes
14% Often
3% Always
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How much do you believe that video games can
help your child with problem solving?
34% Somewhat
25% Quite a bit
19% A little bit
13% A great deal
8% Not at all
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Why use video games and digital media to
help children with ADHD?
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Video game play requires the use of executive
functioning skills.
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Other skills such as organization and metacognitive
skills are required for success.
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Both simple and complex video
games regularly use skills such
as planning, cognitive flexibility,
self-control, and time
management.
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Many games specifically tax
working memory skills and
attention skills.
Why use video games and digital
media to help kids with ADHD?
Kids with ADHD or
Attention Difficulties
May become easily bored and
unable to sustain attention
Video Games and Digital Media
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Require ever-changing skills
Employ video, sounds, words, and
actions
Multi-modal
Often require immediate
reinforcement or consequence
to stay focused on a task.
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Provide clear and immediate feedback
Constantly let player know what he is
doing wrong and right
Often require that their body or
mind to be actively engaged.
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Extremely engaging
Many require physical and cognitive
involvement
Why use video games and digital
media to help kids with ADHD?
Kids with ADHD or Attention
Difficulties
Usually have problems with
following directions.
Video Games and Digital Media
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May struggle to learn new
information and experience
frustration or low self-esteem as a
result.
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Teach by trial and error or
guided discovery
Require that the player
understand the instructions in
order to succeed
Most negative feed back from
video games and other digital
media occurs privately.
Causes less embarrassment
and frustration
Teaches the player how to
handle these emotions
What are the characteristics of interventions
that work best with children With ADHD?
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Point of performance interventions
Immediacy of feedback
Powerful and engaging feedback and
meaningful consequences
Multimodal presentations and
multiple intervention agents
Individualized to child’s
capacities
Strategic teaching principles
including: previewing, setting
explicit goals, partnering,
metacognition, and
generalization strategies
Why do children with ADHD not become
scholars after playing video games?
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Existing games are generally not designed to promote
skills in children with ADHD.
Existing games focus on
other things, while using
important thinking skills.
Metacognitive skills are not
built into existing video
games.
Generalization and strategic
teaching skills are not built
into existing game.
Research on Executive/Thinking
Skills and Video Games
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LWK pilot research on differentiated instruction,
targeting areas of EF weakness with video
games
Combination of board and video games improve
fluid reasoning and processing speed (Mackey,
2011)
Working memory video games improve WM, fluid
reasoning skills (Cogmed ) Intensity/duration
Computer-based training improves executive
attention in preschoolers (Rueda, 2005)
Video game like math and reading programs
improves learning, reduces attention symptoms
Games (non video) that increase cognitive load
and used as a teaching tool by parents reduce
ADHD symptoms in Preschoolers (Halperin,
2012)
How well do game based skills
transfer to the real world?
• Game play alone results in modest
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improvements in real-world executive
skills
Children with learning and attention
problems have problems in
generalizing strategies
Kids like to talk about playing video
games and may be willing to learn
from that
Games prompt partnering and
motivation to learn executive skills
Practice and rehearsal of executive
skills
BUT…games are not enough!!!
• The key to success is effective
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teaching or mediation (can be done in
the game)
Teachers (including peers, parents,
and imbedded instruction) make the
connection between game-based
learning and real-world skills
Actual learning requires knowledge of
the skill, understanding how and when
to use it, and practice across many
situations
What can we do to make video games a more
productive learning experience for children with
ADHD?
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Utilize a differentiated instructional model that identifies
the specific skills that a child with ADHD needs to
improve
Teach skills and then practice them in game and
technology play
Talk about gameplay and skills, metacognitive
approaches
Build generalization strategies,
practice skills outside of the
game
Consider duration and intensity
of game play to practice skills
Mediated learning, including
parents, psychologists,
educators, and peers
Play Together
• Talk before, during, and after
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gameplay. Choose gameplay goals
with your child.
Have fun playing the game with your
child!
Reflect on gameplay, emphasizing the
use of the targeted thinking or
academic skills.
Direct your discussion to how these
same skills are useful in daily
activities.
Make it Work
• Explain the benefits of digital play,
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and introduce the skills being
exercised in the game.
Encourage non-digital activities that
use the same skills.
Regularly connect game-based
skills to things your child is
struggling with in the real-world.
Try different games and skills
Thank You!
Randy Kulman, Ph.D.
[email protected]
@rkulman
LearningWorks for kids
www.learningworksforkids.com
@lw4k