HOW WEARABLE COMPUTING CAN HELP YOUNG
CHILDREN WITH ADHD TO LEARN
Camila Gernhardt Nakamura
Design & Technology, Parsons
6 E. 16th St., 12th floor, New York, NY 10011
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
New technologies can enable children diagnosed with
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and
teachers to contour the disorder and make it possible to
create a healthy environment to end the struggle that is to
learn in the present educational methods. This paper presents
a discussion about the disease itself, the learning methods
and the emerging possibilities of devices that can cope with
these children allowing them to learn in an interesting and
productive way.
KEYWORDS
wearable computing ; children; ADHD; learning; focus;
INTRODUCTION
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is defined
as a chronic behavior disorder by medicine and one of the
most common childhood disorder. This disorder can affect
children significantly especially when it comes to their
performance at school because those children have difficulty
staying focused on specific matters and paying attention
and can cause problems to other peers with their difficulty
controlling their behavior and due hyperactivity. [1]
The problem with ADHD is that usually is diagnosed late
or sometimes the person will go through a lifetime without
knowing they have this deficit. They struggle with simple
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March 16, 2015, New York, New York, USA
Copyright 2015 Camila Gernhardt Nakamura
tasks such as reading a small text but at the same time can
focus for hours in a subject that caught their attention. It is a
cognitive medical condition but these children should not be
taken as wrong but different. [2]
Once understood it is possible to affirm that ADHD is open
to innovation. Technological interventions can change how
these children behave and how they relate to the subjects they
are exposed to in the classroom.
In this paper will explore the design space to develop
wearable technologies in two different fields, emotional
and didactic ways, to cope with young children in order to
make it possible for them to deal with the symptoms ADHD
presents and have a successful learning life. In this case it is
extremely important to understand not only the singularities
of these disorder but also in the current model of education
analyze the learning curve of a regular child and oppose to a
child that suffers with ADHD. Also, once it is being suggested
the use of technology as support on the daily lives of children
it becomes essential to discuss how technology can influence
in their development.
CHILDREN, MODERN WORLD, LEARNING AND
TECHNOLOGY
Times have changed and so did the kind of stimuli available
for children in the daily basis. Children are growing up with
access to information through various types of media. They
are bright and have their own way of understanding the world.
Regarding to learning it is necessary to observe the child in a
way to realize that there is no single pattern of development
and so there is not an ideal child. There are different contexts,
different cultures and different possibilities, creating different
childhoods for each one of them. Every child is unique. [3]
Still it is essential to find the specific needs of each child in the
group and this only makes it possible to while the caregiver
observe and listen to what the they have to say. Adriana
Friedmann points out the importance of records in these case
studies so that they can be processed later, out of context and
even with a new point of view. During his speech, Friedmann
explains some considerations when applying activities and in
the process of learning in early childhood, whereas, as said
before, children are under the influence of many media and
for this reason are constantly changing. [4]
We live in a society where even though we know importance
learning we still spent less time, effort and money than we
should to encourage this children to be good citizens and
to have a brighter future. We are teaching most of them in
an outdated form making them feel bored and discouraged.
We are putting brand new technology in their hands before
they can even talk. We are trying to make them quiet and not
listening to what they have to say.
Seeing the importance that technology has in our society
and in how we are developing to be the human becoming
that Clive Dilnot mentions [5]. Accordingly to him we have
to use the artificial as a world of possibilities where we can
cope with it and build a better future. However lately we are
bringing the technology to a pedestal and letting it take over
our lives forgetting that in fact it is built to be most likely
extensions and not substitutes of our own skills.
These facts should be our biggest concern regarding to our
children because a proper development during childhood is
essential for the adult they will become. Thus the learning is
a continuous process which will bring consequences in the
life of every individual and it is not only what is taught at
school. Therefore, access to the right activities that provide
good incentives for children is essential for achieving the
proper results.
In the documentary “The importance of play”, Sue Palmer
explains how with the more stimulation the child receives
those early years - especially through songs and stories - more
chances they have to become balanced citizens, responsible
and productive. With that is essential to comprehend that the
development of the intellectual is completely related to the
motor development in a child [3].
The world we live in today is constantly changing and due
to accelerated development is full of new technologies. So
much that when it comes to discuss how technology have a
role in our lives we realize that every change is seen as life
savers for some and as life threatening to others. The truth
is it can be either way depending on how people act in the
presence of change. Especially regarding its influence on
children development things can get even more difficult it is
then that begin to appear different types of opinions on the
subject by the media, educators and even parents.
Plowman and McPake (2013)[6] analyzed some of these
myths closely following the development of children aged 3
and 4 years in the presence of technologies like computers,
mobile phones and tablets. They got into a conclusion that
can in fact help the development of a child helping their
social skills and fueling their creativity. Thus we arrive at the
result that technology can cover four main areas of learning
extending knowledge, helping to develop the operational
learning when the child understand how to use the products,
showing disposition to learn when they gain self-confidence
and self-esteem for succeeding and at least helping to fulfil
everyday tasks.
From these facts we can most certainly agree that technology
is not a villain in childrens lives; on the contrary it can be quite
aggrandizing. But it is extremely important to realize that
the use of technology by itself is not, in any way, guarantee
learning success. It is necessary that the material, applications
and selected programs provide challenges besides just fun for
them.
Considering all the above, the design possibilities and
liabilities are countless from developing toys, apps or better
tools for teaching in school. Still most certainly user-centered
design is the method to be applied to assist in development of
a child, because that seeks to understand interests and needs
so that design extremely functional objects and is essential
that good design is present so that a person can handle it
without instructions. Besides knowing the user, it is necessary
to design for the misuse, thinking beforehand that sometimes
the product will not be used the way it was designed.
WHAT IS ADHD?
ADHD affects over 18 million people in the country. From
the years of 2003 until 2011 there was a 41% increase of
children diagnosed with ADHD and it has been increasing
since then [7]. People with ADHD have trouble paying
attention, are hyperactive and frequently impulsive acting
before thinking. The diagnose is more common in children
during the first years of school, from 6 to 12 years old, once
these symptoms can also describe any regular toddler making
diagnosis difficult.
This illness is frequently connected to abnormalities of the
transmission of dopamine in the brain. “Dopamine is a crucial
chemical for concentration or sustained attention, working
memory and motivational processes in the brain and acting
as a chemical transmitter between brain cells by combining
with specialised receptors on nerve cells.” [8]
Accordingly to Richard Friedman for the New York Times
ADHD can be viewed not as a disease but as a set of behavioral
traits that don’t match the expectations of our contemporary
culture. That because once the patients understands
themselves it becomes possible to create situations such as
environments and interests that make them able to not only
work properly but usually even better than someone without
the disorder. [9]
With a similar opinion from another perspective, Michael
Ruff, M.D, a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at
Indiana University, believes that the modern way of life has
a great impact on the brain because children develop from
early ages immersed in the information overload and get
accustomed to rapid tempo that does not adjust well to the
slow pace of a classroom. They have this sense of urgency
and unrest having a disorder created by the modern world and
its technologies. [10]
On the other hand, trying to perceive the disorder from the
eyes of a patient or from a close relative can be clarifying
in many levels. For an example, Stephen Tonti, a major at
Carnigie Mellon explain that ADHD people have difficulty
in completing tasks that do not excite them at the same time
they can have hyper focus on things that does excite them
taking them from the underachiever label to the overachiever.
From his view it is also important to understand that this so
called disease does not need fixing and there is not possible to
cure it because it is a difference in the cognition people have,
their attention is different. Because of that it is extremely
important to allow ADHD diagnosed people the freedom to
express themselves by any method they feel comfortable in.
We should let children to teach themselves. [11]
Rebecca Hession, wife and mother of ADHD diagnosed
people, points out on how these individuals are simply
different from others. These children do not fit in the industrial
age factory model of education where everything is generalist
and children are teached as all having the same abilities
when sometimes they just don’t match the criteria utilized
in this process. Thereupon children struggle with school life
and frequently feel discouraged. In numbers, 20% of these
children will grow up and repeatedly skip school; others 35%
will drop out; 30% will repeat a subject or the year and 20%
are expelled. This because children with attention disorder
without the proper care will make a teacher job more difficult
and this education system does not match the need of the
children that can be extremely interested, even obsessed, to
some kind of topics and completely demotivated by others.
[2]
HOW WEARABLE COMPUTING CAN HELP
The evolution of the computer science towards the body
is eminent. The intention is to empower the body with an
extension of its intellect and its senses aiming for a possible
flawless version of ourselves [12]. To be able to achieve
that with ADHD children it is possible to take two different
directions that most likely would complement each other: the
emotional aspect understanding what the children is feeling
during classes, lectures and exposed to certain subjects and
the didactic aspect that is basically create a new dynamic
to teach children making it possible for them to identify
themselves with the content.
Emotional
The next step to this achievement is understanding not only
the physiological signals of our bodies but using it to analyze,
map and understand our emotional responses.
Our bodies are the primary interface to the world. Is how
we are able to communicate with others and to the world.
There is no denying that the evolution of the technologies is
culminating to be held on the body and to gather each time
more personal data.
Lately the goal is to give computers ability to pay attention
to how the user feels and use that information to adapt itself
to what the users needs. Thereat what can be called affective
wearables overlap with medical wearables at the time where
both may need sensors to gather data as to anxiety or distress
[13].
“Recent findings on emotions have shown that the
mechanisms associated with emotions are not only tightly
intertwined neurologically with the mechanisms responsible
for cognition, but that they also play a central role in decision
making, problem solving, communicating, negotiating, and
adapting to unpredictable environments. Emotions are now
therefore considered as organizing and energizing processes,
serving important adaptive functions.” [14] Because of that
measuring and understanding emotions can be extremely
useful in the daily basis not only in the health care service
but also for education, helping a child to stay focused and
motivated sensing their attention; saving real time data by its
affective qualities, that can help teachers to understand the
learning curve and attention of a student; or even to deal with
mood swings, helping a person to calm down, cheer up or
focus through music or visuals.
One example of these kind of wearable computing is from
XOX - emotional technologies. Xox is an integrated system
that involves a server, a cloud and a sensory wristband with a
number of biometric sensors. The system is aimed for show
designers and producers allowing them to access the audience
intimate data that is processed in real time that shines RGB
lights accordingly to the mapped data and is also transmitted
to the server so it can be analyzed posteriorly. [15] However a
modified version of the same wristband (probably without the
visual feedback so it does not steal the focus of the child with
bright lights) could be used to monitor first grade students
during the year to pinpoint those who have certain difficulty
in different topics and subjects providing the teacher with
a rich data sheet with the evolution of each student in the
classroom.
FIGURE 01 - XOX WRISTBAND THAT READS
PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA
the idea of the “one size fits all” and allowing the children
to learn on their own pace. Allowing them to work in class,
having the teacher available and discussing topics with their
peers is humanizing the experience while now they actually
have time to interact with each other. At the same time with
this system it is possible to record data of how the students
are dealing with the subjects, how many times they are
watching and pausing, arming the teachers with as much
data as possible in a way they can analyze diagnose what’s
wrong with the students so they can make their interaction as
productive as possible. [18]
These ideas can be executed through different types of
learning dashboards and even through wearable technology
that allows children to simulate certain kinds of nature
behaviors and learn subjects acting on it.
CONCLUSION
Given the strong connection between affect and cognitions
allied to the increasing development of technologies the
desire and possibility to enable our wearables with affective
qualities is extremely desirable. Understanding in a deeper
level the effects of emotions in the during the process of
learning will empower parents and teachers to better deal
with children with ADHD allowing them to achieve goals of
being more focused and productive having effective learning.
Didactic
As said before, times have changes. The methods used before
in that so called industrial age of education it is no longer
effective. The results of these methods can be compared to the
reptilian brain that simply shuts down when it feels threaten.
Examinations and rigid authorities inside a classroom does
that to children in general let alone to those with ADHD.
Encouragement seems to be the key for learning. We
need to understand the child. We need to make learning a
pleasure environmental to bring back their confidence and
imagination. [16]
Sugata Mitra have the opinion that we should treat learning
as a product of a self. Letting the educational process to selforganize and with that learning will emerge. The idea is to let
the process happen and not make it happen. The teacher will
only set the process in motion, creating the sparkle for the
students and let them resolve. It is all about making education
sexy and interesting.
Salman Khan believes that is possible to use technology to
do exactly the opposite of many people thinks it does: rehumanize. Using videos and other media viewed at home
replacing the one side lectures in class it is about changing
At this point is possible to affirm that children struggling
with ADHD needs special attention. They are often seen as
underachievers when actually they have extremely difficulty
in focusing in tasks that may seem ordinary to many. It is
essential that every child be seen as an unique creature with
different needs and capabilities. For that a change in the
educational system is more than urgent. The adoption of
computing technology developed focusing the user centered
design would benefit not only those with ADHD but every
child in school once this flow of information can be given in
a more interesting, interactive way with a distinct pace. Not
least important it is indispensable that teachers act as mentors
in a way children can be comfortable and leveled with them
to reach for help.
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