Fidget Devices as Academic and Behavioral Interventions: A Meta-Analysis of Single-case Design Studies

Fidget devices are often used in classrooms to help students move their bodies while attending to academic or behavioral directives. Devices range from small handheld tools such as spinners and tangle puzzles to larger full-body devices such as exercise balls. The current study provides a meta-analysis of the effects of fidget devices as academic and behavioral interventions in single-case design studies. Ten studies with a total of 59 students were included in the analysis. Results indicate that the effects of fidget devices vary widely with Tau-BC effects ranging from -1.00 to 1.00 and log-response ratio (LRR) effects ranging from -1.37 to 2.18. There is an overall positive treatment effect with LRR = 0.32 (95% CI = [0.08, 0.56]) and Tau-BC = 0.33 (95% CI = [0.02, 0.64]). The only moderating variables were, when considering the Tau-BC effect size estimates, methodological rigor and intervention implementation; studies that met What Works Clearinghouse methodological standards and were implemented within group settings had significantly higher effects than those studies that did not meet standards. Discussion explores connections to behavior analytic and sensory integration therapies and implications for fidget devices as interventions in schools.