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UNIVERSAL APOSTOLIC PREFERENCES: ACCOMPANYING THE YOUNG

Exploring Mightier’s Role with Emotional Regulation for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder — Deborah Elgin Budash, Ph.D., OTR/L

Front row, seated, left to right: Alexandra Garza, Cassidy Treese and Danielle Taglucop Back row, standing, left to right: Kelly Neville, Kyla Avant, Megan Stanislowski, Kaitlyn Hartsky and Dr. Deborah Budash

My occupational therapy research teams over the last three years have been involved in research with the goal of helping children with sensory processing disorder learn to better manage their emotions. Children who cannot accurately interpret or process sensory information live and function in a world that does not make sense to them. As a consequence, they may react in a way that society deems inappropriate (tantrums, acting out, etc.). This can mean they do not make friends easily; they may not have access to experiences that foster their development, and/or they may struggle in school. As part of a nationwide partnership, we have been studying the use of the Mightier video game system and its effect on helping children develop techniques for recognizing the stress response in their bodies when they become frustrated, and teaching them techniques to manage their responses so they can more appropriately and effectively participate in all aspects of their lives.

The Mightier game system consists of a tablet with Mightier software installed (since our study began, Mightier is also available as a downloadable app) and a heart rate monitor that looks like a watch that is worn during game play. As a child becomes frustrated or emotionally dysregulated with the game, typically as the game becomes more difficult, their heart rate will increase. Mightier recognizes this elevation and game play will slow or even stop at which time the child may calm themselves using a number of self-initiated techniques such as deep breathing, exercise, or mindful tracing, or they may activate a “gizmo” that will cue them through calming techniques. Once the heart rate is normalized, game play resumes. The underlying goal is for children to learn to recognize their stress response (how they feel when they are frustrated or angry), recognize that they need to calm themselves, and spontaneously utilize the techniques learned to lower their heart rate. The ultimate hope is that children, when successful using these techniques while playing Mightier, can generalize these skills to other situations, such as in school.

Our research has involved partnerships with several organizations. Mightier is a product offered by Neuromotion Labs, Boston. Neuromotion Labs donated 15 Mightier units to our clinical partners for use in this study. We have had two clinical partners — both are outpatient occupational therapy pediatric practices who provide the participants for the study, as well as implementation of the Mightier protocol. Our first partner was Tri-County Therapy in Ladson, South Carolina. We were partnered for about 2.5 years on this study, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our success in this study was limited as children were not able to attend and participate in therapy on a regular basis during this time. Our current partner is FUNctional Therapy in Louisville, Kentucky, and we are in the data collection phase of the study. We have seen favorable outcomes with the use of Mightier as a complement to traditional occupational therapy services for these children, and look forward to sharing our results within the next year. Our hope is that the technology of this game can help children become mightier in their lives and more fully engaged with friends and in their families, schools, and communities.