Tangiplan is a tangible prototype that assists children with planning, organization, and time-management.

Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience a deficit in cognitive processes responsible for goal-directed behaviors, known as executive functioning. To assist them, we developed TangiPlan – a prototype of a tangible assistive technology intended to improve executive functioning during morning routines. TangiPlan consists of six tangible objects, representing tasks that need to be completed during a child’s morning routine. These tasks are set via a tablet application. Using TangiPlan consists of two main stages: planning and execution.

Planning: During this stage, which occurs during the previous evening, the child uses a tablet application to divide the morning routine into small tasks and allocate time for completing each one. The child pairs each task with a tangible object, and then places each object at the location where the task is supposed to be performed. For example, an object representing the “brushing teeth” task is placed near the bathroom sink.

Execution: During this stage, which occurs in the morning, the objects serve as physical reminders for performing their corresponding tasks. The child activates each object at the beginning of the task and deactivates it when the task is complete. While active, the object indicates the time that elapsed.

This research was supported by the I-CORE Program of the Planning and Budgeting Committee and The Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 1716/12).