Seeking independent management of problem behavior: A proof-of-concept study with children and their teachers

Abstract

Problem behaviors are particularly common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism and Down syndrome. These behaviors sometimes discourage social inclusion, inhibit learning development, and cause severe injuries, but caregivers are often unable to attend to their children immediately when the behaviors occur. Recent research shows that problem behavior can be automatically detected with wearable devices, but it is still not clear how to reduce caregivers’ burdens and facilitate academic, social, and functional development of children with problem behaviors. We conducted a field study at a school with 21 children who exhibit problem behaviors and found that they needed frequent interventions in the form of visual cue cards and verbal reminders. We then developed a proof-of-concept that uses smart watch notifications to help children control their behavior without intervention from caregivers. A preliminary evaluation indicates that notifications modeled after teachers’ current intervention strategies can help children control their problem behaviors.