Reference: Meeting the Needs of Students With ADHD

Steps you can take to foster greater productivity, order, and calm for these learners.

January 22, 2015

Integrating Movement and Mindfulness Meditation

Children with ADHD are statistically quite bright. Unfortunately, their symptoms—distractibility, hyperactivity, clumsiness, impulsivity, nervousness, and poor focus and concentration—can undermine learning. To help them blow off steam and refocus, schedule some short movement sessions such as yoga, tai chi, Zumba, or a quick power walk. The exercise causes the brain to release endorphins, the so-called happy hormones.

Mindfulness meditation is also helpful. Scientific American reported that after an eight-week course of mindfulness meditation, MRI scans showed that participants’ amygdala's, the brain’s fight-or-flight center, shrank. It also showed that their prefrontal cortices, the area associated with executive function (concentration and decision making) became thicker. A report in Clinical Neurophysiology found similar benefits of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of ADHD. In one study, adults with ADHD showed marked improvement in mental performance, a decrease in impulsivity, and greater self-awareness after participating in a series of mindfulness meditation sessions.

The KMA Difference

Here are a few ways that our approach to teaching helps to achieve the goals of "Integrating Personal Development Lessons":

· The "Going Beyond The Grades" Program

· Begin of Class & Testing Routine

· Focus Anchors

The "Going Beyond The Grades" program is used in our martial art classes during this time of the school year. We promote and reinforce how their martial art development is preparing them to be better Masters of themselves. The Belly Breathing exercises are a perfect example of how we are helping kids to develop self-calming techniques that will aid them in controlling emotions, decompressing after high energy activity, and decreasing stress during times of mental difficult.

Focus Anchors are designed to help students identify transition points in classes and mentally prepare for them. This coincides with their academic environment as it relates to changing classes, moving from classwork to testing, transitioning from group exercise to independent study, etc. We use things like "Eyes on Who? Eyes on You Sir", "Focus Your Mind, Focus Your Eyes, Focus Your Body", colored queue cards on the wall to identify daily training topics, and routines like bowing to create segways.

Beginning of Class/Testing Routines consists of a set ritual that helps kids to prepare themselves for martial art training. This includes lining up according to rank, coming to attention, bowing to the American/South Korean Flag, and then doing seated meditation. Having routines like this really helps kids to re-center themselves and mentally prepare for training during times when they may have been distracted by the events leading up to class time.

*** SPECIAL OFFER ****

This month we are offering a special Fidget Spinner Parents Night Out. During this event on September 16^th from 7PM-11PM, we will also be teaching the kids some breathing, meditation, and re-centering skills. Not to mention….they get a Ninja Star Fidget Spinner as part of their registration.

If you think your child would absolutely LOVE this then you can register using the link below or by contacting us at 614-899-9033 for more information.