Hayes (2004) indicates the first wave was based on establishing empirical support for behavioral principles; the second wave on establishing empirical support for cognitive, behavioral, and emotive principles; and the third wave on expanding empirical support for integrative applications of mindfulness with evidence-based behavioral and cognitive principles. Importantly, the third wave originated from philosophical changes in the field and various research anomalies that were incompatible with contemporary scientific theories (Hayes, 2004)
Favorable reviews have been offered by Jennings (2003), Kaufman and Kaufman (2001), Oehler-Stinnett (2001), and Wilkinson (2003). "The breadth of coverage of the theoretically-based elements of executive functions dovetails with contemporary discussions about the nature of primary, secondary, and tertiary deficits of ADHD" (Jennings, 2003, n
Many children with ADHD have comorbid emotional/behavioral issues and a triple threat exists for these youngsters. First, research indicates that many emotional/behavioral issues in early childhood often go under-identified or unidentified, and are strongly connected with problematic academic performance (Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007)
7% prevalence rate) have ADHD and most are undiagnosed (CHADD, 2011; Wadsworth & Harper, 2007). Although many adults in the United States may seek treatment for comorbid mental health and substance-related conditions, treatment for the ADHD, which could be argued as the origin for ensuing comorbid conditions given the diagnostic age criteria for symptom onset, tends not to occur (Kessler, Adler, Barkley, & Biederman, 2006)
Table 1 Definition of Key Terms and Acronyms Term/Acronym Definition Academic performance For the purposes of this study, academic performance defined as graded performance on report cards. ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Barkley, 2007) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder The conceptualization of ADHD remains dynamic (Lensch, 2000)
The mindfulness movement in the West is credited to Jon Kabat-Zinn (1990), who pioneered Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR. Since that time, Kabat-Zinn's work has influenced the development of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Linehan, Heard, & Armstrong, 1993); Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999); and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002)
I propose a 4-1/2-week intervention coupled with a 4-1/2-week post intervention observation period, where pre and post student report card grades and teacher ratings on the Brown ADD Scales will be collected to compare the differential impact between two martial arts interventions, differing only on the presence or absence of mindfulness training. Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Summary of Argument Theoretical and Conceptual Questions CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Statement of the Problem Research Problem Hypotheses Definition of Terms Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations CHAPTER THREE: METHODS Description of Research Design Participants Instrumentation/Measures Procedure Data Analysis REFERENCES APPENDIXES CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Summary of Argument More than one million young learners become sufficiently disillusioned, frightened or frustrated with their classroom experiences to the extent that they drop out of American schools every year (Matthews, Ponitz & Morrison, 2009)
281). The concept of an executive inhibitory dysfunction component in ADHD has been advanced and studied, but the results of the research to date remain mixed and flawed (Nigg, 2001)
According to Oord et al. (2012), the results of their study support the use of mindfulness training for young learner with ADHD as well as their parents; the authors caution, though, that these findings are preliminary and require further investigation with respect to teacher-ratings of the effectiveness of these treatment protocols (Oord et al
Why focus on mindfulness training for ADHD? The primary reason is due to the prevalence of the disorder in childhood, or at least the prevalence of the diagnosis. ADHD accounts for nearly half of all childhood mental health referrals in the United States (Rhee, Feigon, Bar, Hadeishi, & Waldman, 2001)
A study by Rinsky and Hinshaw (2011) followed an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 140 preadolescent girls with ADHD and 88 matched comparison girls for a period of 5 years in an effort to determine whether childhood levels of executive function would predict adolescent multi-informant outcomes of social functioning and psychopathology, including comorbidity between externalizing and internalizing symptomatology. These researchers used well-established measures of planning, response inhibition, and working memory, along with a control measure of fine motor control as predictors (Rinsky & Hinshaw, 2011)
Limitations include the foundations on which CBT rests, complexities in comparative analysis with other good psychotherapies, and effectiveness with complicated conditions (Holmes, 2002). Mindfulness originated from a variety of ancient Eastern traditions, with current research sprouting vastly diverse and empirically supported applications across many Western disciplines (Sears, Tirch, & Denton, 2011)
What is mindfulness? Kabat-Zinn states, "Mindfulness lies at the core of Buddhist meditative practices, yet its essence is universal [secular]. It has to do with refining our capacities for paying attention, for sustained and penetrative awareness, and for emergent insight that is beyond thought" (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002, p
This study proposes an investigation of the differential impact between a mindful martial art intervention and traditional martial art intervention on the academic performance and executive functioning (attention) of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Proponents of this ideal operate based on the assumption that young people who understand what is required of them to think critically and learn effectively can develop individual skills and strategies that promote improved academic outcomes (Schapiro & Livingston, 2000)
158). There has been some research conducted using non-stimulants such as atomoxetine that indicate these alternatives may be at least moderately effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD (Singh et al
, 2012). In sum, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests differences in mindfulness can be explained by ADHD status and interventions that increase mindfulness may improve symptoms of ADHD and increase self-directedness (Smalley, Loo & Hale, 2009)
The study's authors report that, "Well-validated laboratory measures of both executive functioning and attachment representations were used. Additive, interaction, as well as mediation effects were investigated" (Thorell et al
A recent study by van de Weijer-Bergsma, Formsma, de Bruin and Bogels (2012) evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness training for 10 young learners aged 11-15 years diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, the effectiveness of concomitant Mindful Parenting training for 19 of the participants' parents was also evaluated (van de Weijer-Bergsma et al
, 2001). Martial arts benefit youth in a variety of ways, yet beyond needed physical fitness, it also teaches students how to develop self-control (Walters, 1997)
This model uniquely focuses on the less overt executive functions that Brown contends play a central role in ADHD, rather than the conventional practice of focusing on characteristic surface behaviors which strictly adhere to DSM-IV criteria and do not account for recent developments in the literature. Brown's theoretically-based item pool departs from DSM-IV criteria and has expanded to developments in the understanding of how executive functions relate to ADHD, offering "a more refined and accurate clinical picture" (Wilkinson, 2003, para