Project DistrAction- Unwind Your Mind: An India developed online destination for students with ADHD qualifiy to semi final round in CHI Play Game Awards

A lot of us have the ability to start and stop tasks suddenly without putting too much thought into it. Sometimes, we may even catch ourselves saying we’re great at multitasking because of our ability to juggle a number of tasks in quick succession. Doing homework, for example, while eating a snack, listening to music and carrying on a conversation through text messages might come easy for some of us.

But if your child is living with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), maintaining that level of attention across multiple tasks can be difficult. Some important activities may remain unfinished or overlooked as they struggle to switch between one task and the next. The result? A pile of unfinished homework, spoiled food, dirty dishes and unanswered text messages.

So why, then, are parents considering a new video game called DistrAction as a complementary treatment for kids who have ADHD? Aren’t video games, like other media, time-consuming and just another well-placed distraction?

Video games can get a bad rap. And you may fear that too much screen time can be bad for your child’s mental and emotional health. But while it’s true that too much screen time isn’t good for any of us, DistrAction was designed specifically for children who have ADHD. The idea is to improve their ability to direct their attention toward specific tasks without them getting distracted along the way.

Beyond the development of DistrAction

In a significant stride towards supporting students with ADHD, a team of ingenious Indian teenagers has unveiled an innovative online therapeutic game. The collaborative efforts of "Bit by Bit," the driving force behind this initiative, have resulted in an online platform that equips early adolescents with valuable stress-reduction tools. Central to their project, "DistrAction," is an engaging self-guided game designed to assist youth in cultivating an internal toolbox of self-regulation, mindfulness, and coping skills.

**The visionary behind the "DistrAction" project, Vinit Yadav, has not only steered his team to success but has also left an indelible mark on the landscape of mental health support. Guiding his team to victory in the esteemed MyGov Gaming Hackathon India competition, Yadav's brainchild earned them not only acclaim but also a grant of 50,000 rupees to propel their mission further. came from the Yaducanshi School in Rewari, Haryana, the team's new innovation resonates deeply in the realm of mental health.** The accolades for this project extend beyond this Hackathon. The project was showcased at the prestigious CHI Play Game Awards 2020-21, where it represented India and stood alongside the work of IIT Bombay students. This collaborative effort reached new heights by securing a spot in the semi-final round at the CHI PLAY GAME awards in Germany. The comprehensive presentation of the game, complemented by a meticulously crafted research paper, underscored the project's exceptional merit.**

Yet the journey does not halt here. Vinit Yadav and his dedicated team are now dedicated to bringing the transformative power of the "DistrAction" game to schools across Haryana. Their strategic partnership with  NGO's sharing their commitment to enhancing mental health among Indian youth, holds the promise of broadening the initiative's scope. Together, they are poised to catalyze positive change in the lives of young students grappling with ADHD.

How DistrAction can aid in ADHD? how it really works?

Using DistrAction should be treated like any behavioral therapy. By scheduling a set time to engage the treatment and creating a routine, you can help your child improve their attention and focus over the course of several weeks and instill learned behaviors that will help in conjunction with other treatments. DistrAction is for children 8 to 12 years old. You can download DistrAction to a compatible device that uses an Android operating system or Windows operating system.

DistrAction says that it “uses sensory stimuli and motor challenges to target areas of the brain that play a key role in attention function.” So, what does that look like in practice?

Well, DistrAction is a lot like the video game Mario Kart. Your child plays the role of an alien piloting their ship as they explore different worlds. To steer the ship, they tilt the screen in the direction they want the ship to go. As they explore, they’re required to tap the right side of the screen to collect the correct targets that appear while ignoring all other targets.

“It helps with hand-eye coordination and the ability to disseminate one thing from another,” explains Vinit. “You have a figure moving along a path and things come in the way, and you have to click on some of them to get points and avoid others to avoid losing points.”

At the beginning of each mission, your child will be shown a number of possible targets of different shapes and sizes, and they’ll be asked to collect only one type of target. As they steer their way through the course, they’ll need to tap the screen to collect specific targets as they appear while avoiding obstacles and driving through gates and power boost zones.

Successful missions will unlock rewards, outfits and new Sub worlds to explore — but there’s no winning the game. DistrAction is designed to adjust gameplay difficulty based on how your child is doing, so if they’re really good at it, the levels will continue to get more and more difficult. And if they’re not so good at it, that’s OK, too. The game will adjust.

So, why play a game you can’t win? Well, the point isn’t to win, it’s to train your brain to improve its focus over time and to instill learned behaviors so your child can focus more intentionally on tasks at hand and reduce the possibility of distraction.

Your child knows they’re done when they’ve completed the required missions for each day or when they’ve run out of in-game fuel to continue. If they haven’t engaged in the treatment, they’ll get display reminders to continue. Plus, as a parent, you can download the companion app EndeavorRx Insight to see how your child is doing, their level of engagement and how they’re improving.

Sub Worlds in DistrAction

The DistrAction “world” features a game that allows youth to explore multiple “subworlds,” each an immersive experience with activities focused on a particular aspect of mindfulness.

**Subworld 1: Sea of Serenity – Relaxation and Breathing** Provides “in-the-moment” tools and activities to help calm the nervous system and reduce stress. These include guided breathing techniques and simple meditation practices.**

**Subworld 2: Bright Meadow – Positive Self-Worth and Gratitude** Helps youth identify their values, which can create a feeling of authenticity and self-awareness. It can also help them identify traits they would like to develop. These activities center on reframing exercises and affirmations.**

**Subworld 3: Inspiration Island – Creative Output** Encourages self-expression through creativity. Its activities guide youth in creating art and using visualization techniques.**

**Subworld 4: Zen Woods – Meditation** Teaches youth to heighten their awareness by focusing on their senses. Activities such as nature walks and body scans help youth notice where stress shows up in the body and connect to their physical feelings in the moment.**

Pros and cons of video games

There’s a lot that goes into understanding your child’s ADHD diagnosis. The overall goal with treatment is to put into place behavioral interventions so your child can better manage their condition as they continue to learn and grow.

Living with ADHD, your child may need to put organizational systems in place to help them stay on task (think calendar reminders or alarms). They’ll also need to find ways to recognize and understand when they’re restless, inattentive or hyperfocused, and why or how those behaviors can become disruptive in their day-to-day lives. DistrAction, while delivered in the form of a video game, can help instill some of these behavioral patterns in small ways in conjunction with other treatments.

But what about other video games? Research into [the effects video games have on the brain](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-video-games-good-for-you/) is varied, but some positive benefits include: - Increasing brain matter. - Providing rewarding, stimulating activity. - Improving focus, hand-eye coordination and attention to visual and auditory cues. - Helping with set-shifting, or switching from one task to the next in quick succession.

“Positive findings are realized when parents actually sit down and engage the child while they’re playing video games by talking about it, watching it or even playing with their child,” states Vinit. “This can be a very positive experience for parents and kids by turning the game into an interactive experience.”

And the same can be said for DistrAction. By checking in with your child over the course of playtime and normalizing the behavior of setting aside time to focus, your child can grow more comfortable with the idea and the associated learned behaviors that come with it.

“When you’re watching a video game, you’ve got to pay attention to every little thing that comes into your visual field and react to it,” says Vinit. “Being able to visually contrast, being able to tell the difference between one thing and another, these are executive functions that some video games can enhance.”