Coping with add

TLDR

Attention Restoration Theory posits that contact with nature supports attentional functioning, a link demonstrated in adults, but its relevance to children remains unclear. The study aimed to examine whether everyday nature exposure improves attentional functioning in children with Attention Deficit Disorder. The authors surveyed parents about children’s attentional functioning after leisure activities in various settings, comparing within‑ and between‑subject responses to assess the effect of nature exposure. Children with ADD performed better after green leisure activities, and greater greenness of play areas was associated with fewer attention deficit symptoms, indicating that nature contact supports attentional functioning.

Abstract

Attention Restoration Theory suggests that contact with nature supports attentional functioning, and a number of studies have found contact with everyday nature to be related to attention in adults. Is contact with everyday nature also related to the attentional functioning of children? This question was addressed through a study focusing on children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This study examined the relationship between children’s nature exposure through leisure activities and their attentional functioning using both within and between-subjects comparisons. Parents were surveyed regarding their child’s attentional functioning after activities in several settings. Results indicate that children function better than usual after activities in green settings and that the “greener” a child’s play area, the less severe his or her attention deficit symptoms. Thus, contact with nature may support attentional functioning in a population of children who desperately need attentional support.