Today, Information Solutions Group announced the results of a survey done on behalf of PopCap Games. This study shows that casual games may have a therapeutic effect on children with ADHD. Of the approximately 220 respondents, 83 percent cited Improved concentration skills/Increased attention span and 64 percent cited Stress relief/Relaxation. Puzzle games, like Tetris or Bejeweled, were the most popular, with computer games cited as the second most frequent leisure time activity.

"It seems that children with AD/HD often lack that sense of control that comes much more easily to their non-AD/HD peers," says Dr. Carl Arinoldo. "Playing casual games such as Peggle and Bejeweled, among others, is one area in their lives in which these children can experience some sense of control with the added benefit of achieving success in something. Both of these aspects, taken together, can serve to enhance the child's self-concept and self-esteem."

"Any reasonable type of treatment that would enhance the AD/HD child's attention span, focusing, concentration skills, and self-confidence, would be a welcome asset to parents and teachers alike," adds Arinoldo. "The child's skills can be generalized from the gaming situation to other situations, such as school, this would be an added bonus. We always want to find something that the children enjoy and that interests them when seeking ways to help them. Thus, since playing casual computer games was the children's second choice for a leisure time activity, it makes a lot of sense to make use of the games to build on the children's skills."