Smart-Pomodoro: Wearable Technology for Improving Time-Management, Engagement and Focus in Children with ADHD

Smart-Pomodoro is an application aimed at improving efficiency, focus and time management in study sessions for children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). By using Smart-Pomodoro, caregivers can design customized study sessions, thus assisting children to mitigate their ADHD symptoms and influence their motivation. Therefore, the caregiver can set goal-oriented objectives and gamification strategies to make studying more engaging, enhancing self-efficacy, focus, and behaviour. The system also leverages the smartwatch’s features to facilitate clear caregiver–child communication. Accordingly, Smart-Pomodoro employs a real-time, smartwatch-based and rule-driven approach to prompt children to plan and manage their study sessions and breaks. This unique feature delivers real-time feedback and gamification for children with ADHD, while increasing the caregiver’s awareness of their condition and behaviour throughout the session. In the performed evaluation, parents of children with ADHD (from both primary and secondary) rated the system positively, praising its ease of use, usefulness, and effectiveness.