Title: OliTool: a ‘smart’ system to support primary school children develop social and emotional literacy and self-regulation skills for mental health and wellbeing
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: OliTool is a smart system designed to support primary school children develop critical social and emotional learning skills underpinning mental wellbeing. The importance of SEL to wellbeing, resilience and attainment is well documented. The OliTool system can be used to assess, monitor and triage children vulnerable to mental health challenges, support the delivery of SEN and provide insights for educational planning/policy. With Innovate UK grant funding for a proof-of-concept project (PoC), the OliTool system was prototyped and trialled at three English primary schools to positive results in 2019/2020. All participating children benefitted from using OliTool and loved the system's sensory interface. A cluster of children with anxiety and emotional internalising patterns experienced noticeable improvements in key behavioural and emotional markers. OliTool Description OliTool is comprised of: Oli: Handheld fidget toy-like device for communication and sensory self-calming: Oli as special friend Child tracks/communicates feelings/behaviours in real-time Real-time haptic feedback motivates/acknowledges Sensory stimulus for calming/focus App: structured SEL modules for skills-building and communication: Evidence-based structured learning content Personalisable and gamified Oli data visualisations for review/insight development Data/insight sharing with stakeholder group OliTool combines sensory features with child-initiated mood tracking and social and emotional learning content. The system s structured learning approach offers a time-efficient tool for teachers that helps build understanding and child self-confidence and self-regulation. OliTool s features are evidence-based, drawing on multidisciplinary research from fields ranging from child development, social and emotional learning, behaviour change, affective computing and sensory distraction to human computing interaction. The OliTool system offers a simple long-term solution to the challenge of SEL skills-building, incorporating structural flexibility to meet the changing needs of children, parents and schools. School staff and specialist professionals will be able to deliver SEN and mental health support more efficiently by leveraging OliTool s real-time assessment, communication and programme evaluation analytics.

Lay abstract: OliTool is a smart system designed to support primary school children develop critical social and emotional learning skills underpinning mental wellbeing. The importance of SEL to wellbeing, resilience and attainment is well documented. The OliTool system can be used to assess, monitor and triage children vulnerable to mental health challenges, support the delivery of SEN and provide insights for educational planning/policy. With Innovate UK grant funding for a proof-of-concept project (PoC), the OliTool system was prototyped and trialled at three English primary schools to positive results in 2019/2020. All participating children benefitted from using OliTool and loved the system's sensory interface. A cluster of children with anxiety and emotional internalising patterns experienced noticeable improvements in key behavioural and emotional markers. OliTool Description OliTool is comprised of: Oli: Handheld fidget toy-like device for communication and sensory self-calming: Oli as special friend Child tracks/communicates feelings/behaviours in real-time Real-time haptic feedback motivates/acknowledges Sensory stimulus for calming/focus App: structured SEL modules for skills-building and communication: Evidence-based structured learning content Personalisable and gamified Oli data visualisations for review/insight development Data/insight sharing with stakeholder group OliTool combines sensory features with child-initiated mood tracking and social and emotional learning content. The system s structured learning approach offers a time-efficient tool for teachers that helps build understanding and child self-confidence and self-regulation. OliTool s features are evidence-based, drawing on multidisciplinary research from fields ranging from child development, social and emotional learning, behaviour change, affective computing and sensory distraction to human computing interaction. The OliTool system offers a simple long-term solution to the challenge of SEL skills-building, incorporating structural flexibility to meet the changing needs of children, parents and schools. School staff and specialist professionals will be able to deliver SEN and mental health support more efficiently by leveraging OliTool s real-time assessment, communication and programme evaluation analytics.

Research activity codes: 7.1 INDIVIDUAL CARE NEEDS
Health categories: MENTAL HEALTH