None
Approximately three million children in the United States are being treated for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). 4.4 percent of the adult population have ADD or a related disorder. Many medical studies have shown that television and video games may have contributed to a rise in ADD, especially in children.
In an article by Paige Kollock for the Voice of America, Unique Logic and Technology explains a video game they created to help re-train young brains. The game is called “Play Attention” and it teaches a person’s brain how to pay attention.
A helmet with sensors can tell whether or not the user is paying attention. After the user pays attention for a long period of time, he is rewarded. The game takes eight to twelve months to be permanently effective, but once the skill is in place the user can rely on it for the rest of her life.
Pat Faulkner, a former principal, stated, “I think Play Attention was worth every penny they ever spent on it, and all the time that was spent on it, because it has the power to change a child’s life. When a child can learn to participate in class, then he can learn, and that’s a life changing experience.”
Others have found the game helpful too. The U.S. Women’s Olympic bobsled team has used Play Attention to help them increase their focus.