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Some parents who start their children in martial arts are concerned with their children's ability to concentrate. Some of the students have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). These disorders are characterized by a child's inability to focus or concentrate for a normal amount of time.

The following information is adapted from an article in the September/October 1990 edition of Your Patient & Fitness magazine (Use sports in treating hyperactive children, by Jeffery L. Alexander, MD) in which Taekwondo is mentioned as a known aid to children with ADD/ADHD. Although the two are not precisely the same, in this article, the terms "attention deficit disorder" and "hyperactivity” are used interchangeably for convenience.

Most of us can remember having been the 'goat' in a childhood ball game because a grounder scooted between our legs or we struck out in a crucial game. For hyperactive children, such early experiences in organized sports happen too often and, as a result, they quickly learn to dislike sports and games.

This is unfortunate, because sports and recreation can and should be one of the cornerstones of treatment for children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder. I cannot cite a stack of articles to back this assertion, because the role of sports and recreation in hyperactive children's lives has received little formal study. However, my experience has convinced me that helping a child to succeed in sports and recreation programs can make an important contribution to therapy. Carefully chosen activities, perhaps combined with the use of appropriate medications, can help enhance the child's confidence, self-esteem, fitness, and social adjustment.

Prevalence and Symptoms

Attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity, is the most common reason for referral of children to child guidance clinics and specialists in child behavior and developmental medicine. The precise incidence of this disorder is not clear, but most experts agree that between 2% and 5% of children have it. Many children, particularly girls, who have attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity, are diagnosed either late or incorrectly.

For most children, the core symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are hyperactivity, short attention span, distractibility, and impulsiveness. Most parents are aware of these problem behaviors by toddler hood or preschool, but they often become more apparent, and sometimes are greatly exaggerated, once the child enters school. Teachers complain that these children do not listen, disturb other children, cannot concentrate, cannot sit still, and have a short attention span.

As the years go by, the problems mount. The disorder sabotage academic performance; grades substantially understate the child's potential in most cases. In addition, the impulsive behavior ruins relationships with other young people and adults. If left untreated, the child may exhibit chronic school underachievement, behavioral problems, conduct disorders, and, not infrequently, depression and/or anxiety.

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