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A Mobile Game Platform for Improving Social Communication in Children with Autism: A Feasibility Study

Yordan Penev1,2,3, Kaitlyn Dunlap1,2,3, Arman Husic1,2,3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics (Systems Medicine), Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.

Applied Clinical Informatics
|November 17, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study shows that the mobile game GuessWhat effectively improves social responsiveness and adaptive behavior in children with autism. This accessible game-based therapy offers a viable solution for autism treatment, especially when in-person care is limited.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

  • Limited access to timely autism diagnosis and therapy due to geographical, socioeconomic, or global health factors.
  • Mobile solutions can bridge gaps in care by operating outside traditional clinical settings.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for accessible remote healthcare solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the engagement level of a mobile game platform for children with autism.
  • To assess the therapeutic feasibility of a mobile game for autism treatment.
  • To determine if a mobile game can improve social interaction in children with autism.

Main Methods:

  • A mobile application, GuessWhat, was developed to deliver game-based therapy in home settings.
  • The game involves a caregiver holding a smartphone and a child mimicking prompts displayed on the screen.
  • 72 children with autism (aged 3-12) participated in a 4-week study, playing three 90-second sessions daily, 3 days per week.

Main Results:

  • Participants showed significant improvements in Social Responsiveness Score-2 (SRS-2) total scores.
  • Significant enhancements were observed in Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II (VABS-II) socialization standard scores.
  • The game demonstrated therapeutic feasibility and efficacy in a home-based setting.

Conclusions:

  • The GuessWhat mobile game is a viable and efficacious approach for autism treatment.
  • This game-based therapy can increase access to autism treatment in natural settings.
  • Mobile solutions offer a promising avenue to overcome barriers to care for children with autism.
Abstract

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