Now, app that helps parents manage stress

New York: Now, dealing with your angry child will become much easier and simpler with this app, designed by scientists at Microsoft Research and University of California, San Diego.

The app dubbed ‘ParentGuardian’ delivers research-based strategies to help decrease stress during emotionally charged interactions with their children.

The system was initially tested on a small group of parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and is the first to detect stress and presents interventions in real-time.

Laura Pina, who presented her work at the 8th ‘International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare’ held in Germany recently said: “Instead of focusing on an individual in need we are looking at how to build and design technology for the family as a whole and what’s beneficial for them”.“We wanted to help parents to be the parents they want to be,” added Pina, a Ph.D. student in computer science at University of California, San Diego and former intern at Microsoft Research.

It combines a sensor worn on the wrist with a smart phone and tablet, and a server to analyse data from the sensor.

The interventions are based on “Parenting Behavioural Therapy” which has been shown to be effective in addressing the needs of children with ADHD and their parents.

The therapy teaches parents the skills they need to work on and has been shown to have long-term effects for both parent and child.

The system is designed specifically to improve self-control and self-awareness in ADHD children, and to help their parents manage their own stress.

Parents found the app very helpful, giving it an average rating of 5.1 on a scale of 1 to 7.