Knitting and attention deficit children

I work part time as a cashier at a crafts store. A few days ago, a woman was buying a basketful of yarn, when I asked her (as I always do since I am also the knitting instructor) what she was making, she explained that she works with young people and children that have been abused, have attention deficit syndrome or other emotional problems. She discovered that many of them respond favorably to knitting as an emotional outlet. She was buying wool yarn for them to knit then they felt it into bags. She says it prevents them from doing serious harm as in cutting themselves. Shetold me that when the students begin to feel emotionally stressed, she hands them needles and thread. The concentrating on the knitting soothes them and seems to work especially well with the boys.

Since I was working, I couldn't talk to her more but am going to look into this. I have talked to several people who have told me that knitting has a calming effect on them but her experience is so much more. I have talked to students in elementary schools who have teachers that taught knitting in the classroom. The first student told me her teacher (a man) taught the class to knit and they knitted during their recesses. This 10-year-old pursued her knitting and even took classes at a nearby yarn shop. She then proceeded to teach her mother how to knit. Two more converts!!