Michael Phelps has recently become the poster child for a generation of teenage girls and, perhaps more importantly, for the millions of boys and girls who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or who have difficulties with their executive functioning. Michael's mother describes him as displaying many of the signs of a young man who has difficulties with executive functions, which represent the core components of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders. Individuals who have difficulties with executive functions may have problems in sustaining their attention, behavioral self-control, regulating their emotions, managing their time, and persevering on tasks. In Michael Phelps' case, his mother notes that he "never sat still, never closed his mouth, and was always asking questions and always jumping from one thing to another." Difficulties in regulating his frustration as a younger child after losing a swim meet and, at times, difficulty in planning such as a decision not to study for the written portion of his driver's test have been reported.
Michael's difficulties as a youngster are captured in a misguided, but all-too-common conversation that his mother reported with his kindergarten teacher. His teacher said, "Michael can't sit still, can't be quiet. Michael can't focus," to which his mother said, "Maybe he's bored." His teacher then said, "He's not gifted. Your son will never be able to focus on anything." Unfortunately, this negative attitude is pervasive among many educators, parents, and the kids who have executive-functioning difficulties. This leads to a sense of negativity, repeated experiences with failure, and, most often, a sense of frustration in traditional academic settings.
Through the wisdom of his parents and the good fortune to find a place where he could channel his interests and strengths, Michael Phelps has become a model for young people who have difficulties with attentional issues and executive functioning. While most of these individuals may not have the extraordinary set of skills that have led Michael to 14 gold medals, they all have their unique sets of interests and strengths that can be nurtured, although perhaps not in a traditional school setting.
Michael and his family and coaches were able to find those opportunities that empowered, rather than diminished, him. For his example, his mother reports that the regularity of swimming practice created time-management strategies in which things needed to be done sequentially and in a regimented fashion. Michael seemed to respond well and persisted when challenged in the athletic setting. Even in the area of reading, which Michael did not like as a child, his mother would give him the sports section of the paper or books about sports to engage his interest. Learning to regulate the intensity of his emotions has served to enhance his competitiveness and to channel his energy.
In addition to all of Michael's personal attributes and the support of his family and coaches, a very simple observation can be made, as well. Michael took to swimming like a fish takes to water. In simpler terms, he was able to find an area of interest where he could direct his skills. All too often, we find ourselves doing a disservice to children with Executive Functioning Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by limiting them to the narrow curriculum of a traditional school setting and not allowing them to use their energies in something that is a better fit.
Michael's mother reports that another area in which he is able to sustain his attention for long periods of time involves screen-based activities. Whether this includes watching movies on his large-screen plasma television; playing video games non-stop; or watching tapes of his competitors over and over, essentially doing his swimming homework, he is described as intensely focused on electronic media.
Michael reportedly loves video games. In fact, he reportedly had a shoulder injury after playing so much Tiger Woods PGA Golf Tour on the Wii that his coach forbade him to play any further.
Many parents of youngsters with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and executive-functioning difficulties have voiced similar observations about their children's engagement with television and video and computer games. Strategies to set effective limits on children's amount of screen time, yet at the same time use it in a more productive fashion, would be helpful for many of these youngsters.
Developing new methods to assist children in combining exercise with video-game viewing might be helpful. A number of companies have recently produced exercise bikes that mimic video racing games. Recent data suggest that children who play sports-based video games are more likely to engage in these types of sports in the outside world than their non-video game playing peers. Strategies such as using video-game time as a reward for physical activity; requiring that a significant proportion of video-game play be movement-based, such as using the Nintendo Wii exercise games; and the development of video games that encourage physical activity in the same way that brain-training games encourage mental development will help many children become physically fit and better able to regulate their behavior.
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Posted by: オテモヤン | March 27, 2010 at 03:41 PM