PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A video game could help children suffering from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
In 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a prescription-only game-based device called EndeavorRx.
We sat down with one Tampa Bay area family who told us it's helped in a way medication hasn't been able to.
Freah Lewis is 10 and isn't so bothered by the idea of playing a video game five days a week. EndeavorRx is prescribed for children like her, who are between eight and 12, with ADHD.
"I do suffer through it a lot. Like, I don't realize I'm doing something wrong until I'm told it's wrong," Lewis explained.
Amanda Lewis said her daughter has struggled with ADHD since she was four. She said Freah was kicked out of two preschools because they didn't know how to help her.
"She was hiding under her tables. She didn't want to stay still for circle time. She wanted to keep moving and playing and wiggling, and it was such a disturbance that we were constantly getting letters from the preschool," Lewis said.
Since then, Lewis said her daughter has been on medication.
"Even though we were doing medication, we still were not able to sit still and really focus," Lewis added.
Just recently, their provider prescribed Freah something rather unconventional: a video game.
"The product has been very helpful in reducing reliance on medication. It's not meant to be a replacement necessarily of medication but as a complement to the entirety of the treatment plan," Katharine Quinn explained.
Quinn is a nurse practitioner in South Tampa and said that's especially true considering a shortage of ADHD medications.
She told us the video game is now part of her comprehensive treatment plan for many children with ADHD, including Freah.
"She was able to sit and concentrate more. She was able to get more work done and understand that work and of course, it boosts your confidence because now she doesn't feel like she's struggling," Lewis added.
