Fidget toy

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A "flippy chain" type fidget toy A "bike chain" type fidget toy.jpg
A "flippy chain" type fidget toy
A fidget spinner Fidget spinner red, cropped.jpg
A fidget spinner
Fidget cube with clicking, flipping and spinning parts Fidget cute antsy labs.jpg
Fidget cube with clicking, flipping and spinning parts

A fidget toy or fidget is typically a small object used for pleasant activity with the hands (manual fidgeting or stimming). Some users believe these toys help them tolerate anxiety, frustration, agitation, boredom, and excitement. [1] They are also commonly used by those with sensory difficulties. [2] Fidget toys have uses in both therapeutic and educational settings, [3] [4] [5] although some controversies about their safety and effectiveness have been brought up over the years. [4] [6] [7]

Contents

Fidget objects such as worry beads and Baoding balls have long existed, but the types and popularity have dramatically increased since the fad for fidget spinners in 2017. [1]

Uses and effectiveness

Therapeutic uses

In therapeutic contexts, fidget toys are employed to help individuals manage sensory, cognitive, and emotional experiences. Stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, is a common way for autistic or ADHD individuals to cope with overwhelming sensory input. [3] [4] Fidget toys can facilitate this process, offering a safe and effective means of processing stimuli, helping individuals reduce stress and anxiety levels. [3] Studies have shown that using fidget toys can provide sensory input that helps individuals self-regulate, leading to improved emotional stability and reduced episodes of overstimulation. [3] According to neurodiversity-affirming integrated psychotherapy practices, therapists often incorporate fidget toys into sessions to help clients, including children and adults on the autism spectrum, engage with their senses in a mindful manner. [3] For example, therapists may offer clients options for fidget toys and guide them through a mindful exploration of the sensations associated with their use, providing a grounding activity that supports emotional regulation. This approach has been found to be particularly effective in helping clients reduce anxiety and improve focus during therapy sessions, ultimately aiding in the development of coping mechanisms for managing stress. [3]

Educational uses

In educational settings, fidget toys are often used as tools to help children, particularly those with attention-related challenges, maintain focus during lessons. [4] [5] Research suggests that parents of autistic children tend to perceive fidget toys, including fidget spinners, as effective tools for reducing anxiety and enhancing focus. [5] The effectiveness of fidget toys in educational environments is attributed to their ability to provide sensory input that helps children channel excess energy and improve their concentration on tasks. [4] [5] A recent study found that parents of autistic children with higher sensory-seeking scores noted significant benefits from fidget toys in terms of anxiety reduction, while fidget spinners were seen as more distracting compared to other fidget tools. [3] [5] Similarly, parents of normal, non-autistic children with high sensory-seeking scores perceived both fidget toys and fidget spinners as helpful for increasing their child’s ability to concentrate. [3] [5]

The implications of these findings suggest that educators should take parental perspectives into account when forming policies regarding the use of fidget toys in the classroom. [5] While some schools have banned these toys due to concerns about distraction, there is evidence to support their positive impact on children with specific sensory needs, especially in promoting focus and reducing anxiety. [5] [8] The use of fidget toys has been found to help students who struggle with sitting still or maintaining attention by providing a controlled outlet for movement, thereby improving their ability to engage with classroom activities. [4] [5] Consequently, policies that incorporate individualized approaches may be more effective in balancing the needs of all students, ensuring that those who benefit from fidget toys have access to them while minimizing potential distractions for others. [4] [5]

Other benefits

While fidget toys are most commonly used in classroom settings, they have a wide variety of other uses. They can be used as toys for simple entertainment, to make distressing events less overwhelming, as a way to bond with other children, or even to incentivize autistic children to complete day-to-day tasks. [4] Many parents individualize the use of fidget spinners and other fidget toys to meet the specific needs of their children. [4]

Controversies and limitations

With the rise of fidget toys in popularly, some controversies emerged. One concerning pattern was reports of fidget toy-related injuries in children, which were largely related to children ingesting fidget toys or even putting them in their eyes. [4] [6] [7] Some examples of injuries include a 9-year-old girl who suffered from moderate erosions in the corneal epithelium of the eye after putting a round popping fidget toy in it, [6] a 7-year-old girl who suffered from eyeball perforations and unilateral vision loss caused by an uncontrolled fidget spinner, [7] and a child who suffered from a stress injury from continuously playing with a fidget spinner for 8 hours. [4] Choking hazards were a large concern for many fidget toys as well – particularly for those with moving pieces or small ball bearings – due to their marketing towards children. [4]

Some professionals also question the effectiveness of fidget toys, in both therapeutic and educational settings. [4] [8] [9] [10] [11] Studies investigating the effectiveness of fidget toys have had mixed results; some examples of those challenging the effectiveness of fidget toys include a 2022 study done on third graders with attention problems found that fidget cubes did not improve their ability to independently get work done, [9] a 2023 study which found that fidgeting and doodling in general did not improve college students’ focus or ability to retain boring information, [10] and another 2023 study found that bouncy bands and fidget spinners did not help improve attention in academic settings, even in children who presented with greater inattention struggles. [11]

Along with safety and effectiveness concerns, fidget toys come with a risk of distraction in school settings. In fact, shortly after skyrocketing to popularity in 2017, fidget spinners were banned in 32% of United States’ top 200 biggest high schools – public and private – for questions around effectiveness, safety, and distractibility. [8] Teachers are some of the biggest critics, citing jealousy between students, fidget toys being used for fun instead of focusing, and even visual or noise distractions with certain fidget toys as some of the main problems. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cognitive behavioral therapy</span> Type of therapy to improve mental health

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions and their associated behaviors to improve emotional regulation and develop personal coping strategies that target solving current problems. Though it was originally designed as an approach to treat depression, CBT is often prescribed for the evidence-informed treatment of many mental health and other conditions, including anxiety, substance use disorders, marital problems, ADHD, and eating disorders. CBT includes a number of cognitive or behavioral psychotherapies that treat defined psychopathologies using evidence-based techniques and strategies.

Developmental disorders comprise a group of psychiatric conditions originating in childhood that involve serious impairment in different areas. There are several ways of using this term. The most narrow concept is used in the category "Specific Disorders of Psychological Development" in the ICD-10. These disorders comprise developmental language disorder, learning disorders, developmental coordination disorders, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In broader definitions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is included, and the term used is neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet others include antisocial behavior and schizophrenia that begins in childhood and continues through life. However, these two latter conditions are not as stable as the other developmental disorders, and there is not the same evidence of a shared genetic liability.

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) in USA and Australia or dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) in the UK is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body. As a modality of the creative arts therapies, DMT looks at the correlation between movement and emotion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expressive therapies</span> Use of creative arts as a form of therapy

The expressive therapies are the use of the creative arts as a form of therapy, including the distinct disciplines expressive arts therapy and the creative arts therapies. The expressive therapies are based on the assumption that people can heal through the various forms of creative expression. Expressive therapists share the belief that through creative expression and the tapping of the imagination, people can examine their body, feelings, emotions, and thought process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art therapy</span> Creation of art to improve mental health

Art therapy is a distinct discipline that incorporates creative methods of expression through visual art media. Art therapy, as a creative arts therapy profession, originated in the fields of art and psychotherapy and may vary in definition. Art therapy encourages creative expression through painting, drawing, or modelling. It may work by providing a person with a safe space to express their feelings and allow them to feel more in control over their life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classroom</span> Room desired for learning, usually in a bigger building

A classroom, schoolroom or lecture room is a learning space in which both children and adults learn. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, ranging from preschools to universities, and may also be found in other places where education or training is provided, such as corporations and religious and humanitarian organizations. The classroom provides a space where learning can take place uninterrupted by outside distractions.

Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the body's senses experiences over-stimulation from the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Play therapy</span> Childrens mental health therapy method

Play therapy refers to a range of methods of capitalising on children's natural urge to explore and harnessing it to meet and respond to the developmental and later also their mental health needs. It is also used for forensic or psychological assessment purposes where the individual is too young or too traumatised to give a verbal account of adverse, abusive or potentially criminal circumstances in their life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism therapies</span> Therapy aimed at autistic people

Autism therapies include a wide variety of therapies that help people with autism, or their families. Such methods of therapy seek to aid autistic people in dealing with difficulties and increase their functional independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stimming</span> Repetitive self-stimulatory behaviour common in neurodevelopmental disorders

Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as "stimming" and self-stimulation, is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other behaviors. Stimming is a type of restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB). Such behaviors are found to some degree in all people, but is especially intense and frequent in those with developmental disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism. People diagnosed with sensory processing disorder are also known to potentially exhibit more stimming behaviors.

Sensory integration therapy (SIT) was originally developed by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres in the 1970s to help children with sensory-processing difficulties. It was specifically designed to treat Sensory Processing Disorder. Sensory Integration Therapy is based on A. Jean Ayres's Sensory Integration Theory, which proposes that sensory-processing is linked to emotional regulation, learning, behavior, and participation in daily life. Sensory integration is the process of organizing sensations from the body and environmental stimuli.

Autistic art is artwork created by autistic artists that captures or conveys a variety of autistic experiences. According to a 2021 article in Cognitive Processing, autistic artists with improved linguistic and communication skills often show a greater degree of originality and attention to detail than their neurotypical counterparts, with a positive correlation between artistic talent and high linguistic functioning. Autistic art is often considered outsider art. Art by autistic artists has long been shown in separate venues from artists without disabilities. The works of some autistic artists have featured in art publications and documentaries and been exhibited in mainstream galleries. Although autistic artists seldom received formal art education in the past, recent inclusivity initiatives have made it easier for autistic artists to get a formal college education. The Aspergers/Autism Network's AANE Artist Collaborative is an example of an art organization for autistic adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fidgeting</span> Type of involuntary movement

Fidgeting is the act of moving about restlessly in a way that is not essential to ongoing tasks or events. Fidgeting may involve playing with one's fingers, hair, or personal objects. In this sense, it may be considered twiddling or fiddling. Fidgeting is commonly used as a label for unexplained or subconscious activities and postural movements that people perform while seated or standing idle.

A sensory room is a special room designed to develop a person's sense, usually through special lighting, music, and objects. It can be used as a therapy for children with limited communication skills.

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is a system of psychotherapy developed by Professor Paul Gilbert (OBE) that integrates techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy with concepts from evolutionary psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, Buddhist psychology, and neuroscience. According to Gilbert, "One of its key concerns is to use compassionate mind training to help people develop and work with experiences of inner warmth, safeness and soothing, via compassion and self-compassion."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fidget spinner</span> Stress-relieving toy

A fidget spinner or hand spinner is a toy that consists of a ball bearing in the center of a multi-lobed flat structure made from metal or plastic with metal weights in the lobes, designed to spin around its central axis. Fidget spinners became very prevalent trending toys in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fidget Cube</span> Toy

The Fidget Cube is a fidget toy designed by Matthew and Mark McLachlan, brothers and co-founders of the US design studio Antsy Labs. It has fidget tools on all sides: a toggle switch, gears, a rolling ball (marble), a joystick, a spinning disk, a worry stone, and five buttons. It may help users with ADHD focus. It can also help children with autism and anxiety calm down or focus.

Embodied writing practices are used by academics and artists to highlight the connection between writing and the body, bring consciousness to the cultural implications of academic writing, and inform an understanding of art forms as first person narrative. Embodied writing practices serve as a means to transcend the traditional boundaries of language and communication, inviting individuals to explore the intricate relationship between their physical experiences and the act of writing itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weighted blanket</span> Type of blanket

A weighted blanket is an especially heavy blanket that is used to aid sleep and reduce anxiety. Initially, weighted blankets were most commonly used as therapeutic tools to assist autistic people, individuals with dementia, and mental health conditions. They have subsequently become a mass-market product. Scientific evidence does not support their use as an aid for insomnia, and they can be dangerous, particularly for children.

Stress exposure training is the practicing of important existing skills in a stressful and distracting environment to develop the ability to perform them reliably in spite of the circumstances.

References

  1. 1 2 Jaffe, Ali (2017-06-05). "Quit Worrying, Fidget Toys Have Been Around Forever". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  2. ↑ Morse, Barbara (2023-11-02). "Exploring the benefits of fidget toys in enhancing focus and coping skills for children". WJAR. Providence, Rhode Island. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Roche, Megan A.; Back, Elisa; Van Herwegen, Jo (2024-05-01). "Parental perspectives on the use of fidget toys and sensory-seeking profiles in autistic and neurotypical children". Current Psychology. 43 (17): 15872–15882. doi: 10.1007/s12144-023-05483-3 . ISSN   1936-4733.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Schecter, Rachel A.; Shah, Jay; Fruitman, Kate; Milanaik, Ruth Lynn (2017). "Fidget spinners: Purported benefits, adverse effects and accepted alternatives". Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 29 (5): 616–618. doi:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000523. ISSN   1040-8703. PMID   28692449.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pliskin, Ariel E.; Crehan, Eileen T. (2024). "Moving toward neurodiversity-affirming integrated psychotherapy with autistic clients". Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. 34 (3): 338–350. doi:10.1037/int0000340. ISSN   1573-3696.
  6. 1 2 3 Crane, Alexander B.; Uppuluri, Aditya; Dastjerdi, Mohammad H. (2024-06-01). "The Influence of Social Media: Fidget Toy Placed in Eye". Ophthalmology. 131 (6): 723. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.06.020. ISSN   0161-6420. PMID   37480913.
  7. 1 2 3 Nessmann, A.; Chaloupka, K.; Böni, C. (2018-03-01). "Bulbusperforation eines 7‑jährigen Kindes durch das "Must-Have Office Toy 2017"". Der Ophthalmologe (in German). 115 (3): 231–234. doi:10.1007/s00347-017-0603-y. ISSN   1433-0423.
  8. 1 2 3 "The Fidget Spinners Are Banned in 32% of the Largest High Schools U.S. – Spinner List". 2017-09-15. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  9. 1 2 Croley, Kelsi E.; Drevon, Daniel D.; Decker, Dawn M.; Hixson, Michael D.; Radley, Keith C. (2023-06-01). "The Effect of the Fidget Cube on Classroom Behavior among Students with Perceived Attention Difficulties". Behavior Analysis in Practice. 16 (2): 547–557. doi:10.1007/s40617-022-00734-4. ISSN   2196-8934. PMC   9388206 . PMID   35999944.
  10. 1 2 Spencer-Mueller, Emily Krysten; Fenske, Mark J (2024-08-01). "Note-taking for the win: Doodling does not reduce boredom or mind-wandering, nor enhance attention or retention of lecture material". Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 77 (8): 1780–1796. doi:10.1177/17470218231222402. ISSN   1747-0218. PMC   11295400 . PMID   38087918.
  11. 1 2 Driesen, Matson; Rijmen, Joske; Hulsbosch, An-Katrien; Danckaerts, Marina; Wiersema, Jan R.; Van der Oord, Saskia (2023-10-01). "Tools or Toys? The Effect of Fidget Spinners and Bouncy Bands on the Academic Performance in Children With Varying ADHD-Symptomatology". Contemporary Educational Psychology. 75: 102214. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102214. hdl: 1854/LU-01HAPWKWXA8R54WPX2CBD7WVCY . ISSN   0361-476X.


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