Using Fidget Spinners to Improve On-Task Classroom Behavior for Students With ADHD
A two-minute spinner-rules talk gives second-graders with ADHD an instant, teacher-friendly way to stay on task during language arts.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three second-grade students with ADHD took part.
The teacher gave each child a 2-minute lesson on spinner rules: keep it on the desk, no tricks, eyes on work.
During language arts, kids could hold the spinner while they worked. The team tracked on-task minutes across several weeks.
What they found
On-task behavior jumped the very first day the spinner arrived.
The boost stayed high for every reading and writing period. All three children kept the gain without extra rewards or reminders.
How this fits with other research
Older studies like Schmidt et al. (1969) and Alba et al. (1972) used teacher praise or reprimands to change behavior. Those methods work, but they need the teacher to watch and react every minute.
The spinner gives the child something to do with their hands. It is non-contingent reinforcement: the toy is there no matter what the child does. That is a lighter load for the teacher.
Slane et al. (2021) show that brief training lets staff run new tools well. Aspiranti copied that idea with a 2-minute rules demo and got the same clean result.
Why it matters
You can hand a spinner to a wiggly second-grader and see calmer, on-task work right away. No points, no tokens, no data sheets during class. Try it during your next long seat-work block. If it helps, you just bought back teaching time.
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Join Free →Pick one second-grade student, demo the three spinner rules in two minutes, and let them keep the toy during the next reading block while you track on-task minutes.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Using fidget toys is one way to allow students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to move while completing academic assignments in the classroom. This study investigated the effect of fidget spinners on the on-task behavior of three second-grade students with ADHD. Before beginning treatment, the rules of use were briefly explained and demonstrated to students by the researchers; students were then provided with fidget spinners during treatment sessions in language arts class. A multiple-baseline design across students was used to determine whether each student had higher levels of on-task behavior when using the fidget spinner. Momentary time sampling was used to record on-task behavior; visual analysis of time-series graphs showed large immediate and sustained increases in on-task behavior during fidget spinner use. Implications for implementing a fidget spinner intervention and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00588-2