Keeping Distracted Kids On Track During the School Day

Keeping Distracted Kids On Track During the School Day

Revibe Connect is a fun mindfulness wearable for kids.

My oldest child is incredibly smart and beyond kind. He is a clever child and loves to learn about the topics he likes. Unfortunately, he also takes after his father temperament-wise and is being treated for depression and ADHD. This means it can be very difficult for him to stay still, focused, and on track at school. His teachers all love him and understand. They even praise the work he does as being very well done, it’s just a matter of getting it done and not becoming one of those distracting kids to those around him. So we tried the Revibe Connect to help improve his focus at school.

Wearing and Tracking

The Revibe Connect is a wearable device designed specifically to help anyone maintain focus and stay on task. It consists of a small plastic box with a screen like a fitness tracker and a band made from a flexible, durable, and comfortable medical-grade elastomer to wear it. It comes in 3 different colors to fit just about anyone’s preference. My son chose the blue band for his. It was designed by a school psychologist to keep distracted kids focused and reduce the need for teacher interventions to keep students on track.

The device sends a super quiet vibration to the wrist to serve as a sort of mindfulness reminder. Are you on track? Doing what you’re supposed to be doing? And they respond with taps. Unfortunately, my son finds the band a bit uncomfortable. I’m not sure if this is because the narrow edges of the band can dig in a bit, or if it just his sensitivity to textures. He is super sensitive to how things feel and he is unused to wearing anything like a watch. Maybe if it was a softer more rubbery silicone? I do not know. I have worn it for a day and did not mind it.

Connection and Control

I love that this device connects right to my phone. It also asked upon setup who the device was for and if the app was running on their device or someone else’s. This helps to determine how the app sets up. I entered my son’s info and could even create a custom school schedule. This ensures the device will send gentle vibration reminders only at the times he really needs them.

While he is at school the device will only display the time and any custom text reminders I set. So it truly serves as a gentle reminder to stay on task rather than giving him more distractions with a fun new toy. When a reminder is sent during the day and he feels it, it reminds him to stop and decide if he is doing what he should be doing. If he is, he can tap the device twice for “yes.” If he isn’t he taps it once for “no” and ideally gets back on task.

Data and Adjustments

When he gets home from school he can take the device off so I can sync it to my phone and then charge it. It does need to be charged every day or it will die halfway through the next day. My son does not usually have homework so when he gets home he is off the hook. I do sometimes have him wear it during chores, however. We all know how easy it is to get distracted cleaning up all those fun toys in your room!

The feedback I get from the device is invaluable. It keeps track of the number of fidgets made while being worn. This is any repetitive movement, such as tapping or bouncing. My son loves that it also keeps track of how many steps he takes while wearing it, just like a real fitness tracker. And boy, does it make me jealous! He hits those 10,000 steps daily with no problem. LOL Oh to be a child again.

Focus Score

His response rate is also tracked. These are the taps he gives after he feels a vibration. All of this tracking is compiled into certain scores. It calculates his focus rate or the amount of time he spends on task when he is supposed to. It also tracks his approximate attention span time. This is the average amount of time he stays on task before becoming distracted again. Then all the numbers are compiled into an overall focus score. The higher the focus the, the better they are doing.

There are graphs to track his progress over time as well which makes it easy to see how he is improving and where he still needs work. It also gives me an idea of what truly helps him and what doesn’t. And by breaking down the schedule into specific learning times I can see which subjects he finds it easier or more difficult to focus in. I’ve noticed his response rate is pretty low. This could be that he is so distracted he doesn’t feel the vibration or if it is because he wears it slightly looser because it bothers him physically.

Algorithm Learning

I love the intuitiveness of the device. It is programmed with a specific algorithm that learns which time frames he has more trouble focusing and sends extra vibration reminders during these times. If it appears he remains more focused at other times, it sends fewer vibrations. It learns and adapts over time. The long term goal is hoping he won’t have to wear it at all and he can still focus as needed. Distracted kids can learn best through repetition and self-awareness and that is exactly what this device provides. My son still has a long way to go, but he is making slow yet steady progress. I can’t wait to see how much he has improved with Revibe Connect by the end of the school year!