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Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are cognitive disorders caused by neurological impairments that affect cognitive functions like language and reading, without indicating overall intellectual or developmental challenges. These disabilities differ from global intellectual or developmental disabilities as they are limited to distinct cognitive functions. Common learning disabilities include dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, each of which impacts unique aspects of learning.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...

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Gamification in Mobile Apps for Children With Disabilities: Scoping Review.

Ebrahim Mahmoudi^1,2, Paul Yejong Yoo³, Ananya Chandra^1,2

¹School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

JMIR Serious Games

|September 6, 2024

Summary

Gamified mobile apps show promise for children with disabilities, enhancing engagement and intervention effects. Further research is needed to explore their impact on health outcomes and development across diverse groups.

Keywords:

children with disabilities gamification mHealth mobile health mobile phone

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Area of Science:

Digital Health
Human-Computer Interaction
Pediatric Health

Background:

Children with disabilities face significant barriers in accessing healthcare services.
Mobile health (mHealth) offers a potential solution to reduce health inequities.
Gamification in mobile apps aims to boost user engagement and motivation.

Purpose of the Study:

To conduct a scoping review on gamification in mobile apps for children with disabilities.
To identify app categories, targeted health outcomes, gamification elements, and integration reasons.
To synthesize existing research on the use of gamified mobile applications in pediatric disability care.

Main Methods:

Searched multiple databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, ACM, IEEE Xplore) from 2008-2023.
Included empirical studies on gamified mobile apps for children with disabilities using at least one gamification strategy.
Excluded studies on serious games or full-fledged games.

Main Results:

38 studies involving 32 unique gamified mobile apps were analyzed.
Apps focused on communication and oral health for autism spectrum disorder, and self-management/academic skills for other disabilities.
Common gamification strategies included fun/playfulness, performance feedback, and reinforcement; social connectivity was less common. Primary reasons for gamification were increased engagement and enhanced intervention effects, though impact results were mixed.

Conclusions:

This review provides a comprehensive overview of gamification elements in mobile apps for pediatric disability treatment and education.
Identified gaps in research concerning specific disability groups and health-related outcomes.
Emphasized the need for further investigation into the effectiveness of mobile gamification on health behaviors and healthy development.