-Special Populations

Special Populations - Awkwardness, ADHD and Dyslexia - Over the past two decades literally dozens of individuals who have learned to juggle or parents of jugglers have provided anecdotal evidence of a connection between learning to juggle and reduction of the symptoms of dyslexia, attention deficit disorders and hyperactivity. Parents have gone to the extent to claim that their children were "cured" of dyslexia, or that they have been taken off of all medications as a direct result of learning to juggle.

There is substantial professional evidence for the possibility that these anecdotes are grounded in reality. In his landmark 1990 book, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Russell A. Barkeley, PhD on pages 530-531 noted that "Changes to classroom structure and curriculum that are likely to prove beneficial to the management of ADHD children include:

1. Increasing the novelty and interest level of the tasks through use of increased stimulation (e.g. color, shape, texture) seems to reduce activity level, enhance attention, and improve overall performance.

2. Varying the presentation format and task materials (e.g. through use of different modalities) also seems to help maintain interest and motivation. When low interest or passive tasks are assigned, they should be interspersed with high interest or active tasks in order to optimize performance. Tasks requiring an active (e.g. motoric) as opposed to a passive response may also help hyperactive children to channel their disruptive behaviors into constructive responses.

4. Children's attention during group lessons may be enhanced by delivering the lesson in an enthusiastic, yet task focused style, keeping it brief, and allowing frequent and active child participation.

5. Interspersing classroom lecture or academic periods with brief moments of physical exercise may also be helpful, so as to diminish the fatigue and monotony of extensive academic work periods (e.g. jumping jacks by the desk.)"

The quotations above seem to lend support to the idea that juggling should be part of the activity program of all classrooms that include ADHD children.