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Talebi Azadboni T, Nasiri S, Khenarinezhad S, Sadoughi F. Effectiveness of serious games in social skills training to autistic individuals: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105634. [PMID: 38494122 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurological condition that significantly impacts individuals' daily lives and social interactions due to challenges in verbal and non-verbal communication. Game-based tools for psychological support and patient education are rapidly gaining traction. Among these tools, teaching social skills via serious games has emerged as a particularly promising educational strategy for addressing specific characteristics associated with autism. Unlike traditional games, serious games are designed with a dual purpose: to entertain and to fulfill a specific educational or therapeutic goal. This systematic review aims to identify and categorize serious computer games that have been used to teach social skills to autistic individuals and to assess their effectiveness. We conducted a comprehensive search across seven databases, resulting in the identification and analysis of 25 games within 26 studies. Out of the 104 criteria assessed across these studies, 57 demonstrated significant improvement in participants. Furthermore, 22 of these studies reported significant enhancements in at least one measured criterion, with 13 studies observing significant improvements in all assessed outcomes. These findings overwhelmingly support the positive impact of computer-based serious game interventions in teaching social skills to autistic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahere Talebi Azadboni
- Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Nasiri
- Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Khenarinezhad
- Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farahnaz Sadoughi
- Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Zhao W, Xu S, Zhang Y, Li D, Zhu C, Wang K. The Application of Extended Reality in Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01190-6. [PMID: 38498091 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01190-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, characterized by social interaction, communication difficulties, and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. Existing intervention methods have limitations, such as requiring long treatment periods and needing to be more convenient to implement. Extended Reality (XR) technology offers a virtual environment to enhance children's social, communication, and self-regulation skills. This paper compares XR theoretical models, application examples, and intervention effects. The study reveals that XR intervention therapy is mainly based on cognitive rehabilitation, teaching, and social-emotional learning theories. It utilizes algorithms, models, artificial intelligence (AI), eye-tracking, and other technologies for interaction, achieving diverse intervention outcomes. Participants showed effective improvement in competency barriers using XR-based multimodal interactive platforms. However, Mixed Reality (MR) technology still requires further development. Future research should explore multimsodal interaction technologies combining XR and AI, optimize models, prioritize the development of MR intervention scenarios, and sustain an optimal intervention level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Zhao
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Song Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yanan Zhang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, China, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Dandan Li
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, China.
| | - Chunyan Zhu
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, China, Hefei, 230032, China
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230088, China
| | - Kai Wang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, China, Hefei, 230032, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, 230032, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230088, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, 230032, China
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Kramer P. Icono: a universal language that shows what it says. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1149381. [PMID: 37575437 PMCID: PMC10421668 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1149381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This article lays out the foundation of a new language for easier written communication that is inherently reader-friendly and inherently international. Words usually consist of strings of sounds or squiggles whose meanings are merely a convention. In Icono, instead, they typically are strings of icons that illustrate what they stand for. "Train," for example, is expressed with the icon of a train, "future" with the icon of a clock surrounded by a clockwise arrow, and "mammal" with the icons of a cow and a mouse-their combination's meaning given by what they have in common. Moreover, Icono reveals sentence structure graphically before, rather than linguistically after, one begins reading. On smartphones and computers, writing icons can now be faster than writing alphabetic words. And using simple pictures as words helps those who struggle with conditions like dyslexia, aphasia, cerebral palsy, and autism with speech impairment. Because learning its pronunciation or phonetic spelling is optional rather than a prerequisite, and because it shows what it says, Icono is bound to be easier to learn to read-and then easier to read-than any other language, including our own.
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López-Bouzas N, del Moral-Pérez ME. Gamified Environments and Serious Games for Students With Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Review of Research. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37363697 PMCID: PMC10173233 DOI: 10.1007/s40489-023-00381-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to review the available research (N = 70) derived from the use of Gamified Environments and Serious Games with people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), identifying: authorship, nationality, publication period, topic, and design of the investigation. After that, the advantages and limitations observed are identified. Results indicate that most of them are focused on the design and testing of prototypes, (mostly) linked to the increase of social and emotional skills. The revision highlights that the game's mechanics and dynamics (feedback, rewards, missions, etc.) involve students from motivation. There is unanimous agreement to emphasize the positive impact of these resources to increment self-control, self-conscience, autonomy, and empathy.
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Fernandes J, Brandão T, Almeida SM, Santana P. An Educational Game to Teach Children about Air Quality Using Augmented Reality and Tangible Interaction with Sensors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3814. [PMID: 36900825 PMCID: PMC10000929 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is known to be one of the main causes of injuries to the respiratory system and even premature death. Gases, particles, and biological compounds affect not only the air we breathe outdoors, but also indoors. Children are highly affected by the poor quality of the air they breathe because their organs and immune systems are still in the developmental stages. To contribute to raising children's awareness to these concerns, this article presents the design, implementation, and experimental validation of an serious augmented reality game for children to playfully learn about air quality by interacting with physical sensor nodes. The game presents visual representations of the pollutants measured by the sensor node, rendering tangible the invisible. Causal knowledge is elicited by stimulating the children to expose real-life objects (e.g., candles) to the sensor node. The playful experience is amplified by letting children play in pairs. The game was evaluated using the Wizard of Oz method in a sample of 27 children aged between 7 and 11 years. The results show that the proposed game, in addition to improving children's knowledge about indoor air pollution, is also perceived by them as easy to use and a useful learning tool that they would like to continue using, even in other educational contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Fernandes
- ISCTE, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tomás Brandão
- ISCTE, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
- ISTAR—Information Sciences and Technologies and Architecture Research Center, Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Susana Marta Almeida
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Estrada Nacional 10, 2695-066 Bobadela, Portugal
| | - Pedro Santana
- ISCTE, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
- ISTAR—Information Sciences and Technologies and Architecture Research Center, Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
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Tay JL, Xie H, Sim K. Effectiveness of Augmented and Virtual Reality-Based Interventions in Improving Knowledge, Attitudes, Empathy and Stigma Regarding People with Mental Illnesses-A Scoping Review. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13010112. [PMID: 36675773 PMCID: PMC9864845 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13010112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Interventions adopting augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) modalities allow participants to explore and experience realistic scenarios, making them useful psycho-educational tools for mental illnesses. This scoping review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of AR/VR interventions in improving (1) knowledge, (2) attitudes, (3) empathy and (4) stigma regarding people with mental illnesses. Literature on published studies in English up till April 2022 was searched within several databases. Sixteen articles were included. The majority of studies were conducted in the West (93.8%), within undergraduates (68.8%) but also amongst high school students, patients, caregivers, public including online community, and covered conditions including psychotic illnesses, dementia, anxiety and depression. A preponderance of these included studies which employed AR/VR based interventions observed improvements in knowledge (66.7%), attitudes (62.5%), empathy (100%) and reduction of stigma (71.4%) pertaining to people with mental illnesses. In the context of relatively limited studies, extant AR/VR based interventions could potentially improve knowledge, attitudes, empathy and decrease stigma regarding people with mental illness. Further research needs to be conducted in larger and more diverse samples to investigate the relatively beneficial effects of different AR/VR modalities and the durability of observed improvements of relevant outcomes of interests over time for different mental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ling Tay
- Institute of Mental Health, West Region, Buangkok Green Medical Park, Singapore 539747, Singapore
- Correspondence:
| | - Huiting Xie
- Institute of Mental Health, Buangkok Green Medical Park, Singapore 539747, Singapore
| | - Kang Sim
- Institute of Mental Health, West Region, Buangkok Green Medical Park, Singapore 539747, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Clinical Sciences, Singapore 308232, Singapore
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Nikolaidis A. What is Significant in Modern Augmented Reality: A Systematic Analysis of Existing Reviews. J Imaging 2022; 8:jimaging8050145. [PMID: 35621909 PMCID: PMC9144923 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging8050145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Augmented reality (AR) is a field of technology that has evolved drastically during the last decades, due to its vast range of applications in everyday life. The aim of this paper is to provide researchers with an overview of what has been surveyed since 2010 in terms of AR application areas as well as in terms of its technical aspects, and to discuss the extent to which both application areas and technical aspects have been covered, as well as to examine whether one can extract useful evidence of what aspects have not been covered adequately and whether it is possible to define common taxonomy criteria for performing AR reviews in the future. To this end, a search with inclusion and exclusion criteria has been performed in the Scopus database, producing a representative set of 47 reviews, covering the years from 2010 onwards. A proper taxonomy of the results is introduced, and the findings reveal, among others, the lack of AR application reviews covering all suggested criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Nikolaidis
- Department of Informatics, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering, International Hellenic University, 62124 Serres, Greece
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Abd El-Sattar HK, Omar M, Mohamady H. Saly: A New Serious Game to Promote Emotion Recognition and Attention Skills for Egyptian Children with Developmental Disorders. SSRN ELECTRONIC JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4102938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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