One of the professors at the Education University of Hong Kong has been successful in creating an app that teachers can use to assess children for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At the same time, it will help them improve certain patterns of behavior.
According to South China Morning Post, the app is expected to launch in the middle of next year. It will have 63 questions that educators can use to evaluate children between the ages of six and 12, as well as weight training exercises to boost social skills.
These focus on better time management, organization, and self-monitoring, among other skills, as children with ADHD, not just in Hong Kong, tend to have problems sitting still and lack self-control.
The app will be in English as well as traditional and simplified Chinese. Its creator, Dr. Leung Chi-hung, said he had tested prototypes on 260 children over eight weeks.
"They showed significant improvement, especially those between the ages of six and seven," Leung said. "The app was accurate in diagnosis nine out of 10 times."
Leung is a trained psychologist and associate professor at the department of special education and counseling. He mentioned that early diagnosis of ADHD was important, so children could get help as soon as possible.
The exercises on the app will be play-based and done in groups of five children, who will tackle tasks together until they reach a certain level where they can move on to the next exercise. The app will also collect data on the youngsters, grouping them by age and ethnicity, so researchers can better understand the extent of ADHD in the city.
According to Department of Health figures, there were 10,438 new cases of ADHD among children and adolescents last year, up from 8,773 in 2012.
Leung's app is among 37 research projects at EdU that have received HK$21.46 million (US$2.74 million) in government funding for the current academic year.
Professor Lui Tai-lok, who the university's vice-president of research and development, said: "Researchers often walk a lonely road where no one understands them and their studies. But when you turn projects into products like this app, it helps others understand the purpose of their work."
Heep Hong Society, on the other hand, announced that it has recently launched the first executive function training app in Hong Kong called the ADHD Hero. Like the aforementioned app, this one is designed to help children improve their attention span and learning ability. Developed by an educational psychologist and occupational therapist of Heep Hong Society, the ADHD Hero is a gaming app designed to train 6-12 years old children in executive functions.
