Fundamental movement skills and associated physical activity experiences of children with ADHD

• Main Author: Harvey, William J., 1964-
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2006
• Subjects: Hyperactive children > Education.; Movement education.; Physical education and training.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=100619

Excessive activity has been a prominent feature in the symptomatology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for more than four decades. While overactivity has helped to identify persons with ADHD, the movement skill proficiency and physical activity experiences of children with ADHD have been overlooked (Harvey & Reid, 1997). This dissertation is a series of four original manuscripts that explore relationships between adapted physical activity (APA) and ADHD. The first manuscript, a review paper, discusses important issues related to ADHD. It suggests many children with ADHD experience poor levels of physical fitness and movement skill difficulties when compared to children without ADHD (Harvey & Reid, 2003). Numerous reference citations for seminal review articles on ADHD were provided. The second manuscript, another review paper, explored research methods used in movement performance studies about ADHD. Twenty new APA research questions about ADHD were posed (Harvey & Reid, 2005). Issues surrounding identification of ADHD, data collection procedures, and strategies to improve APA research about ADHD were also provided. The two review papers, when combined, are a substantial and original contribution to the ADHD literature. The third manuscript is a study about the effects of stimulant medication on the fundamental movement skill performance for 22 children with ADHD and a comparison of their movement skills to age- and gender-matched peers without ADHD. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed no significant effect of methylphenidate on the performance criteria of the TGMD-2 (Ulrich, 2000) for the children with ADHD. Significant differences between the children with and without ADHD were found on both locomotor skills and object control skills. A movement skill profile was developed for each group and they are unique contributions to the movement performance literature. The fourth manuscript is a study that explores the lived physical activity experiences of six boys with and without ADHD. Semi-structured interviews revealed some similarities among both groups about their physical activity experiences. However, qualitative differences were apparent on key aspects of skill proficiency. It is concluded that more in-depth APA research about people with ADHD is necessary to gain a clearer understanding of the children's unique physical activity needs.