Evaluating the Experiences of Occupational Therapists and Children Using the SensoGrip Pressure-Sensitive Pen in a Handwriting Intervention: Multimethods Study.

BACKGROUND: The acquisition of handwriting skills is essential for a child's academic success, self-confidence, and general school performance. Nevertheless, an estimated 5% to 27% of children face handwriting challenges, where the ability to modulate pressure on the pencil and lead on the paper is a key motor component. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the experience with and usability of the SensoGrip system, a pressure-measuring pen system with personalized real-time feedback about pressure modulation, in a clinical setting with children and occupational therapists (OTs). METHODS: A multimethods study was conducted, incorporating qualitative interviews and questionnaires with children, user diaries, focus group discussions, and a usability questionnaire with OTs, along with a questionnaire for parents. RESULTS: The study involved OTs (n=8), children with handwriting difficulties (n=16), and their parents (n=16), each of whom used the SensoGrip system in up to 5 therapy sessions. OTs reported that the SensoGrip system helped to focus the child's awareness on handwriting pressure and to measure it objectively. The system received high acceptance and usability ratings from the OTs-usefulness: median score of 4 out of 7; ease of use and ease of learning: median score of 6 out of 7; and satisfaction: median score of 6 out of 7. Participants appreciated that it fosters pressure awareness and motivation to draw and write. CONCLUSIONS: The SensoGrip pressure-sensing system with real-time feedback is a promising tool for pediatric occupational therapy. It supports children with handwriting difficulties to adjust their pressure application during the task. In the future, controlled quantitative trials are warranted to further examine the system's impact.

Handwriting Evaluation Using Deep Learning with SensoGrip.

Handwriting learning disabilities, such as dysgraphia, have a serious negative impact on children's academic results, daily life and overall well-being. Early detection of dysgraphia facilitates an early start of targeted intervention. Several studies have investigated dysgraphia detection using machine learning algorithms with a digital tablet. However, these studies deployed classical machine learning algorithms with manual feature extraction and selection as well as binary classification: either dysgraphia or no dysgraphia. In this work, we investigated the fine grading of handwriting capabilities by predicting the SEMS score (between 0 and 12) with deep learning. Our approach provided a root-mean-square error of less than 1 with automatic instead of manual feature extraction and selection. Furthermore, the SensoGrip smart pen SensoGrip was used, i.e., a pen equipped with sensors to capture handwriting dynamics, instead of a tablet, enabling writing evaluation in more realistic scenarios.

Evidence-Based and User-Centred Development of an Ecounseling & Learning-System for Parents of Children with ADHD.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders in childhood and adolescence. It is characterized by attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsivity as the main symptoms. These can lead to increased stress in everyday life for the entire family. The e-counseling and e-learning application is being developed within the ELSA project to support parents of ADHD-diagnosed children in everyday life. The requirements identified included, for example, advice on children's restlessness or measures against sibling rivalry.

Participatory design and needs assessment for a pressure-sensitive pen and mobile application (SensoGrip) for children with handwriting problems.

PURPOSE: Problems with handwriting are a common referral to occupational therapy in children and are often associated with inadequate pen grip and tip pressure. Technologies providing immediate feedback on applied forces are currently not available. Therefore, the aim was to identify user's perspectives on the optimal functionality of a pressure-sensitive pen with an integrated feedback system. METHODS: To ensure that the product meets the requirements of the users, user needs of paediatric occupational therapists, elementary or special education teachers and children were collected in two focus groups and a children's workshops before starting the technical development process. Focus group transcripts were analyzed and rephrased as user stories to identify user-centred requirements. In a second step, user stories were merged and ranked regarding importance and feasibility. RESULTS: 120 user story requirements were generated from the focus groups and children's workshops, indicating requirements regarding design and functionality for the pen and mobile application. Visual feedback, appropriate size and weight, customizability, ease of settings and usability of the pen were pivotal. CONCLUSIONS: This study comprehensively researched the requirements for a device that may facilitate children in adjusting their handwriting pressure and can guide further research and evaluation.

Description of a participatory design process for the development of a pressure-sensitive pen.Understand the needs of different stakeholders for an assistive device for children with handwriting difficulties.Inform the further development of a pressure-sensitive pen with immediate pressure-feedback.