Helping Autistic Children Learn Through Games Article

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Helping Autistic Children Learn Through Games

Nov 4, 2016 | 1 Votes

by shilpa 10 rate Due to the way their brains are wired, autistic children aren't able to learn well in a traditional classroom setting. To combat this, educators and caregivers have come up with new and innovative ways to help autistic children learn more effectively. Games Educate Kids - Helping Autistic Children Learn Through Games

Games Educate Kids - Helping Autistic Children Learn Through Games

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder where the child is unable to interact properly in both verbal and non-verbal communication. His or her social interaction skills are mitigated and thereby the process of helping the kid learn becomes a difficult task.

Over the last decade or so, the number of children developing autism has shot up. The scenario is not just prevalent in the United States, but throughout Europe and the rest of the world. Doctors and caregivers are growing more and more concerned due to this rise over the last few years.

Psychologists and scientists are working in unison to come up with solutions that would help the autistic child learn faster and in a more effective way. It has been seen that a child having autism does not pick up what is taught through verbal communication like in a classroom, whereas if the child is given a visual experience of the subject matter, he or she is able to grasp it with considerable ease. With this conclusion, educators and caregivers have come up with new and innovative ways to help their children to learn.

Many new methods have been incorporated in the education system to help autistic children learn subjects properly. Here are a few of them.

#1: Pokémon Go in Classroom

After the launch of this virtual reality game, it has had a booming success. From 8th graders to celebrities, everybody seems to be completely engrossed in catching as many Pokémon as possible. This game has a platform which allows the user to navigate and thereby search for Pokémon. There are many other features, but this is the basic aspect of the game. Certain schools have incorporated this game in the regular curriculum. Teachers have concluded that playing this game has helped autistic children greatly as it helps them navigate the virtual world without having to obey commands, make intuitive and logical decisions on their own.

So it is seen that the myth which says video games are harmful for kids has completely been whitewashed for new ideas.

#2: Minecraft

This is probably one of the oldest and one of the most effective and fun open-world games that are available on the Internet. This game allows the user to create his or her own world with shapes, colors and life like attributes. This game is played by all age groups throughout the world and it has helped the commonwealth in many ways. Psychologists and Analytical Thinkers debate that this game could be one of the major plus points that would help autistic children learn. Since a child suffering from autism is socially impaired, he or she is unable to grasp the totality of what is being explained to them through vocal and written demonstrations. Minecraft on the other hand is completely based on the user’s visual analysis. Thereby it could help autistic children learn about various shapes, colors and concepts in a fun and engaging way.

#3: Serious Games

Certain Universities in Australia have conducted thorough research in the field of autism and methods to reduce or counter its effects on the human brain. They came up with a set of computer games called ‘Serious Games’ which would not only for recreational purposes but also help the user playing it learn many new things in the process. Games like Frankie and Friends have been developed keeping this aspect in mind. The developers concentrated more on the game play than on the therapeutic aspects, which made the game a lot more fun. These games consist of colors, shapes, various everyday objects, plants, animals and other people. There are minimal words and most of the learning comes with the gameplay.

#4: The Social Express

Due to the effects of autism, many autistic children find it difficult to interact with other. Most of them don't even know how. To help, Marc Zimmerman has come up with the novel idea of designing a game, The Social Express, that's not only high quality and engaging; these games are able to teach your child the basic skills they need for social and emotional learning. By helping Zack, Emma, Sam, and Katie solve social problems, your child can now have a safe environment to learn and practice skills needed to help them develop meaningful relationships and successfully navigate our complex social world.

And lastly, although this is technically not a computer game, please allow us to present to you:

#5: Leka, the Rolling Robot

With major advancement in science and technology, people today are able to do jobs with enormous ease. For example a dishwasher has removed the need for a manual worker responsible for washing dishes. Similarly, in the field of child development, many new and improved techniques have been incorporated to make the learning and growing up process a lot smoother. A similar invention is Leka. Leka is a miniature robot that is shaped like a ball and has an endearing face. This ‘face’ can change expressions, emit sounds and colors in order to communicate with the child. It has various games and activities that will help your autistic kid improve his or her cognitive and motor skills.

This technology is rather new and would cost more than a dime. But with prior results from test subjects and users, it can be safely assumed that this robot is quite helpful when it comes to helping your autistic child learn.