Shark Tank Blog - Fidgeting for ADHD

Fidget spinners could prove useful for those with ADHD. Jason Burns introduced his business, Fidgetland, to the Shark Tank on October 8, 2017. Burns created a fidget, initially for his own use, after suffering from ADHD. The device he created is small and discreet, unlike the fidget spinners that have become popular over the last year. He created a variety of fidgets that use interlocking connected together links on each ring. The center link is larger and has a colored silicone band that rolls back and forth. It has be used without drawing attention to the fact that the user is fidgeting.

His company has sold 50,000 fidget toys and done approximately $500,000 in sales. Burns,quit his job to focus on Fidgetland full time. Robert Herjavec liked the fidget and sound it soothing. Mark Cuban said he didn't know how he could help with the product and he went out.

Burns got a deal with Barbara Corcoron for $50,000 in exchange for a 20% equity stake in his business. Barbara has dyslexia and has found that many of the successful entrepreneurs that she has worked with have had to overcome some type of learning disability.

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Research has indicated that physical activity such as foot-tapping increases levels of the neurotransmitters in the brain that control attention and focus. In particular, children and adults with ADHD are more likely to succeed at cognitive task when they are fidgeting. At recent study at University of California, Davis conducted a test in which children with and without ADHD were asked to describe an arrangement of arrows. The children who had an ADHD diagnosis were more successful at the task when they were fidgeting, as determined by the use of ankle monitors.

Another study at the University of Mississippi found a link between fidgeting and improved working memory. More studies need to be conducted. Nearly half the participants were girls, whereas researchers point out that boys with ADHD outnumber girls 3 to 1.