Effects of vigorous bouts of physical activity in elementary students with and without a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder an examination of how physical activity influences the attention and concentration of students in the school environment /

by Packard, Stacie S.

EFFECTS OF VIGOROUS BOUTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT A DIAGNOSIS OF ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER: AN EXAMINATION OF HOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INFLUENCES THE ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION OF STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT By Stacie S. Packard The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vigorous bouts of physical activity on elementary students with and without a diagnosis of ADHD. To test these relationships, a series of assessments were administered to 10 elementary school students with and without diagnoses of ADHD following bouts of either physical activity or sedentary activity. Results of statistical analyses indicated that over the 4 week period of the study, students with and without a diagnosis of ADHD who engaged in the physical activity condition exhibited a greater increase in their weekly attention scores over the four week period compared to their peers who engaged in sedentary activities.