Digital tools help children cognitively

Aristotle Technologies and Kempenhaeghe met through a collaboration with PSV Academy Eindhoven. The goal of the collaboration between PSV, Kempenhaeghe and Aristotle Technologies is to initiate innovative projects that contribute to the best possible use of new methodologies for children with a neurological disorder and talented young footballers.

Together, PSV and Kempenhaeghe hope to gain more insight into the question of how children learn best so that they can make the most of their potential, for example by using digital tools. PSV and Kempenhaeghe are pooling their expertise in the fields of sport/football and neurological learning disorders respectively. The resulting joint knowledge can lead to new insights and methodologies in the fields of diagnostics and care, as well as in guidance and in training within the PSV Academy.

New IT tools

Children with a neurological disorder often have learning and developmental disabilities as additional problems. This concerns, for example, children with neurological learning and developmental disorders such as congenital and non-congenital brain lesions or muscular dystrophy. With the help of the new computer tool, which Kempenhaeghe is developing together with Artistotle Technologies, these children can be further supported in the cognitive field. Dr. Jos Hendriksen, clinical neuropsychologist Kempenhaeghe: “There is a big challenge because these children are threatened in their learning by problems related to the brain. The earlier you can start with tailored brain training, the greater and wider the effect will be on learning performance and behavior even in old age. Don’t forget that knowledge and behavioral functioning and building self-confidence go hand in hand and influence each other.

Serious play, movement and cognition

Children with disabilities can playfully be helped with care technology in many ways. Serious games, for example, can be used in a useful way to help children who have difficulty getting around. In Sint Maartenskliniek, for example, there is an interactive, digital play wall which helps children to rehabilitate in a playful way. Both caregivers and clinic clients rave about the possibilities of the wall because children are so engrossed in play that they often forget they are exercising. The project in question in Kempenhaeghe, on the other hand, explicitly concerns the training of cognitive skills.

Cognitive challenges for children

A test bench will be set up within Kempenhaeghe to verify whether the training courses developed are in line with the experiences of school-age children. Children receive continuous feedback on their performance during training, so they can immediately adjust their behavior. New training tools are being developed with new exercises and individual tasks to train your brain further. The training tool will also be used in the outpatient clinic of the Center for Neurological Learning and Development Disabilities.

Maurits Overmans, co-founder and CEO of Aristotle Technologies, says on the Kempenhaeghe website: “This collaboration is a good example for us of how parties in the Brainport region can come together to innovate for a more viable society. Kempenhaeghe and Aristotle Technologies encourage each other to train children with cognitive impairments so they can get the most out of their lives.”