How does Guided Drawing assist people with ADHD?

To understand how this process assists with ADHD, let’s first explore what this disorder actually is…

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both children and adults. This means that it is a condition that affects the development of the nervous system, which includes the brain and how it functions. Commonly, but not always, the impact is felt in areas such as:

Cognitive functioning: this includes skills like learning, problem-solving and memory.
Motor Skills: These are skills related to movement and coordination.
Behaviour: This involves how an individual acts in different situations and includes issues such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Communication: This relates to challenges in understanding and/or using language, both verbal and non-verbal.
Social Interaction: Difficulties in interacting with others, understanding social cues, and building relationships.

You might find running through your mind, thoughts of: “I can”, “I’m capable of…”, “Everything is okay…” and “I’m enjoying this”. Additionally, this state also has behaviours consistent with trusting yourself to make decisions, acting with intention and purpose, can maintain intimacy, are flexible and adaptable as well as can take breaks without feelings of guilt.

This condition typically begins in early childhood and can continue into adulthood and the main impact is on the brain’s executive functioning, which includes the ability to self-regulate thoughts, words, actions and emotions.

What family, friends and educators might notice is:

Inattentive Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, easily distracted, forgetfulness, trouble following instructions and making careless mistakes.
Hyperactive/Impulsive Symptoms: Fidgeting, restlessness, excessive talking, interrupting others, unable to wait their turn and acting without thinking.

Combined Symptoms: A mix of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.
Executive Functioning Issues: Struggles with organizing tasks, managing time, setting priorities and completing work on time or meeting deadlines.
Emotional Regulation: Challenges with managing emotions, experiencing mood swings, and feeling easily frustrated or overwhelmed.

How Can Guided Drawing Help ?

Guided Drawing is a form of Bilateral Stimulation which involves stimulating both sides of the brain through coordinated movements that produce a series of different shapes.

In doing so, the drawing process can:

Calms the Nervous System: Bilateral stimulation can soothe and calm the nervous system, which can help reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity associated with ADHD.
Enhances Focus: By engaging both hemispheres of the brain, it can improve attention and focus, making it easier to concentrate on tasks, organise thoughts and prioritise duties.
Reduces Emotional Distress: It can help process and release emotional pain and negative beliefs, which can be particularly beneficial for those with ADHD and other combined conditions like anxiety or depression.
Improves Memory Consolidation: Similar to the processes experienced during REM sleep, bilateral stimulation can aid in memory consolidation, helping individuals better retain information.

Guided Drawing

Can help reduce symptoms of ADHD by engaging both hemispheres of the brain1. Here’s how it works for each aspect:

Inattention: Bilateral stimulation helps balance brainwave activity, which can improve focus and attention2. It normalizes irregular brainwave patterns associated with attention deficits2.
Hyperactivity: By promoting relaxation and reducing stress, bilateral stimulation can help manage hyperactivity1. It engages the brain in a way that reduces the need for excessive stimulation3.
Impulsivity: This technique helps reprocess negative beliefs and emotional disturbances that may contribute to impulsive behavior2. It encourages the development of more adaptive responses4.
Executive Functioning: Bilateral stimulation can enhance cognitive performance by improving the brain’s ability to organize and process information effectively2. This leads to better planning, decision-making, and task management.
Emotional Regulation: By reducing the emotional charge of distressing memories and promoting the development of positive coping mechanisms, bilateral stimulation helps individuals regulate their emotions more effectively

How does Guided Drawing assist people with ADHD?

To understand how this process assists with ADHD, let’s first explore what this disorder actually is…

What is ADHD?

How Can Guided Drawing Help ?

Guided Drawing

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