Paper Title :Fficacy of Omega-3 in Improving Handwriting Skills Among School Children With ADHD

Author :Hassana Sani Darma

Article Citation :Hassana Sani Darma , (2016 ) " Fficacy of Omega-3 in Improving Handwriting Skills Among School Children With ADHD " , International Journal of Advances in Science, Engineering and Technology(IJASEAT) , pp. 107-112, Volume-4,Issue-3, Spl. Iss-1

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.

Type : Research paper

Published : Volume-4,Issue-3, Spl. Iss-1

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