Treating ADD Without Stimulants

Attention Deficit Disorder hampers learning and lifestyle for school age children; in the US alone some 4 million students suffer from this disorder. Conventional treatment includes stimulants such as Ritalin. The Thoughtcaster is a revolutionary therapy that helps kids learn to concentrate without the use of drugs.

The Root of the Technology

NASA developed the technology to help pilots develop attention for long flights. Called EAST 3 for Extended Attention Span Training, rev. 3, the system used sensors applied to the pilot’s scalp to detect EEGs (brainwave signals) that were then analyzed for attention level.

Creating Emotional Appeal Through Design

East3, LLC, a venture funded start up, licensed the NASA technology with the mission of commercializing products to help kids with ADD. But NASA’s system was a crude collection of wires and equipment. No parent or child would consider using this laboratory rat’s nest. East3 needed a design for the marketplace—a design that held tremendous emotional appeal for parent and child—and a design that was easy to set up, fun to use, and cost effective to produce.

Understanding the User to Create Something “Cool”

Our team of social scientists and designers conducted research with parents and children to understand the lifestyles and interests that might guide the industrial design. Our human factors specialist developed anthropometric data for the wide range of child head sizes. Participatory design sessions with parents and kids pointed us to designs that were more familiar and less intimidating—like baseball caps and bike helmets. We partnered with Spark Engineering to develop the final design that includes a wireless transmitter in the helmet—allowing the child to peer into the computer screen, play a video game with his brainwaves, and receive instant feedback about his attention level. Kids say it’s “cool,” IDSA / BusinessWeek gave it the Gold IDEA Award (the “Oscar” of product design), and the company was sold to Attention Builders, Inc. to fulfill its mission.