Paper Title
Fficacy of Omega-3 in Improving Handwriting Skills Among School Children With ADHD
Abstract
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) find it difficult to pay attention to appropriate
stimuli while warding off unwanted stimuli. They also have great difficulty sustaining concentration on a given task or
remaining still for a long time. Sustained attention is very vital to learning as without it many learning tasks will go
unnoticed and uncomprehended. Treating this disorder is therefore essential in order for children to be able to overcome their
difficulties in learning and improve their performance in school and their behavior at home and in other settings. This study
employs true experimental research design to test the efficacy of essential fatty acids in the treatment of inattention and
hyperactivity. The learning skill used as a medium for testing improvement in attention and reduction of hyperactivity in this
study is handwriting. A sample of forty pupils were identified as exhibiting characteristics of ADHD and ten were randomly
selected for experimentation. The intervention was carried out in a primary school in Kano State. Essential fatty acids in
form of Omega-3 was administered as treatment for handwriting disorders attributed to ADHD. Children’s Handwriting
Error Inventory was used to compute number of handwriting errors made by each pupil in twenty four lessons which ran
through twelve weeks. Paired T-test analysis was used to compare number of errors made at pre-test and post-test using
SPSS 16.0. The study supports the fact that Omega-3 fatty acids improved attention which in turn has significant effect on
the handwriting skills of children with ADHD. This study suggested that parents be sensitized about the importance of
Omega-3 rich foods in their children’s diets. Recommendations were also made about possible research ideas for further
studies.
Index Terms— Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Omega-3 supplement, Handwriting, intervention.