Haskins Seminar Series

DATE/TIME. September 10, 2024, Tuesday, 4-5pm ET,

WEBINAR URL. https://tinyurl.com/mrx6jvuz

QUESTIONS? HaskinsGlobal@uconn.edu, daniel.kleinman@yale.edu

HOST. Dan Kleinman, PhD, Yale, Haskins

Göran Söderlund PhD, Western Norway University.

Sensory white noise stimulation as a treatment option for children with ADHD and reading disability:

Who benefits and who performs worse?

ABSTRACT. Developmental dyslexia and reading disability (RD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting approximately 5-12% of children. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neuropsychiatric condition with similar prevalence, significantly overlaps with RD. Both conditions contribute to academic struggles, leading to poor achievement and elevated dropout rates. Therefore, developing effective tools and interventions for children with either reading disabilities or attention deficits is of paramount importance.

In this presentation, I will discuss research on the effects of auditory and visual white noise on children with attention and/or reading difficulties during various cognitive tasks. These positive effects have also been observed in an ADHD rat model. Despite substantial experimental evidence supporting the benefits of white noise exposure, the underlying mechanisms remain not fully understood. Stochastic resonance has been proposed as a potential explanation, suggesting that random noise enhances neural integration and communication (Sikström & Söderlund, 2007).

Reference: Sikström, S., & Söderlund, G. B. W. (2007). Stimulus-dependent dopamine release in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychological Review, 114(4), 1047-1075.

SPEAKER. Göran Söderlund is a professor of special education at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, he earned his PhD in psychology from Stockholm University. His research primarily employs experimental methods to investigate cogntive functioning in children with neuropsychiatric disorders. With a background as a high school teacher, Professor Söderlund is deeply involved in teacher education, where he focuses on preparing future educators to effectively support students with diverse learning needs.

FUTURE TALKS & HAPPY HOUR.

(1) Sep. 19, 2024, Thursday 3:30p @ UConn/Waterbury, Erin S. Isbilen PhD

(2) Oct. 17, 2024, Thursday 3:30p @ UConn Storrs, Nabin Koirala PhD

(3) Spring 2025 Thursday 3:30p @ Yale University, Amy Margolis PhD.