Crossing a Street Safely When You Have ADHD
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics offers insight into why children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are able to observe safety measures when crossing the street, but often fail to do so.
Seventy-eight children from 7 to 10 years years old were involved in the study. Thirty-nine were diagnosed with ADHD and 39 were typically developing children. Researchers looked at three things: (1) how they evaluated their environment before crossing the street; (2) how they decided to begin crossing; and (3) how safe was the environment after the decision to cross was made.
No significant differences emerged in the latter two factors, but the children with ADHD chose riskier pedestrian environments in which to cross. Researchers concluded that this reflected trouble within the brain's "executive function" -- that is, the kids with ADHD were less able to process perceived information necessary to permit a safe cross.
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