(Image source: Huffington Post)

BY: LEXA DECKERT

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A study from the University of Alabama Birmingham has added another worry to a parent’s list -- are kids with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder -- or ADHD -- more likely to be hit by a car? Cnn reports...


“Accidents are the leading cause of death in children and those with ADHD are much more likely than their peers to be involved. Crossing the street is no exception... A new study finds children with ADHD are at greater risk when crossing the street." 


To try and understand why kids with ADHD seem to have a harder time, a virtual study was performed at the university.
The Birmingham News has details on the findings...


“The study was conducted in UAB's youth safety lab, which uses three huge TV screens to simulate street traffic and a fake ‘curb’ ...Once the children make a move to cross, a virtual avatar walks through the video traffic ...”

The study used 78 kids -- half with ADHD and half without. The Huffington Post reports their performance...

“... the children were given 10 different street crossing scenarios... when it came time to actually cross, those with ADHD picked smaller gaps in oncoming traffic, had more ‘close calls’ and gave themselves less time to reach the other end of the crosswalk before traffic approached." 


Some involved in the study have come up with a possible reason -- failed use of a brain function called executive function -- a core problem in ADHD. NBC reports one professor’s opinion...


“... executive dysfunction in people with ADHD often affects self-awareness, inhibition, working memory, self-motivation and emotional self-control. They start to cross the street and they have ten seconds, but they act like they have all the time in the world... Time is the enemy of anyone with ADHD."


The study does not mean all children with ADHD are at risk, though. A writer for the LA Times says -- the study does not paint a fully accurate picture of the problem.


“... the children with ADHD in the study were not taking stimulant medication. It's unclear how much medication might help with decisions like crossing the street safely." 


The study's authors say watching kids closely, screening for ADHD symptoms, and technology advances in the future can help prevent pedestrian injuries.
More results of the study will be revealed in August in Pediatrics.

 

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