NETUCATION Blog

Tag: Video Games

  • Research finds that video games hold both risks and rewards for children with Autism

    By  — April 22, 2013

    One in 88 children in America have a disorder that falls somewhere on the Autism Spectrum according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These range from conditions like the high-functioning Asperger’s syndrome to pervasive developmental disorders. With autism diagnoses rising at an incredible rate in recent decades, it’s been more important than ever to identify effective methods for helping to educate and socialize those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Based on new research conducted at the School of Health Professions at the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center, video games could be a powerful tool in reaching children diagnosed with an ASD – but the data so far compiled demonstrates that games also carry some risks.

    Assistant professor Micah Mazurek recently conducted a study of 202 children diagnosed with ASD alongside 179 of their respective siblings to determine which types of screen-based media (television, video games, other computer software, and web-based entertainment) they respond to. Mazurek observed a demonstrable link between children with ASD and games.

    “We found that children with ASD spent more time playing video games than typically developing children, and they are much more likely to develop problematic or addictive patterns of video game play,” said Dr. Mazurek.

    “Using screen-based technologies, communication, and social skills could be taught and reinforced right away. However, more research is needed to determine whether the skills children with ASD might learn in virtual reality environments would translate into actual social interactions.”

    The primary conclusion of Mazurek’s most recent study is that there is a need for more study into how those with ASD interact with video games, and what social skills they take away from gaming. As obsessive behavior is a common characteristic of ASD, children with disorders are also possibly more susceptible to game addiction. “Parents need to be aware that, although video games are especially reinforcing for children with ASD, children with ASD may also have problems disengaging from these games.”

    As detailed in a new report by National Public Radio’s Lauren Silverman though, video games can be an important outlet for those with ASD even after childhood. “[Those with ASD} may really flourish at engineering-type tasks or computer design, where their interaction with people is somewhat limited,” says Dr. Patricia Evans of Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. It’s because of that propensity that Gary Moore and Dan Sellic opened the nonParelli Institute, an educational institute and software company that exclusively works with ASD employees.

    source: DIGITAL TRENDS 

     

  • Video Games Help Treat Kids With Chronic Pain

    Camille Bautista

    The Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., opened a new pain care complex on April 3, aiming to eliminate pain in young patients by using video games.

    Utilizing specially designed games combined with Microsoft’s Kinect technology, participants can improve their health without realizing they’re receiving treatment. The gamification places kids in an intergalactic world where they can paint, play and exercise, all while doctors analyze their range of motion.

    The program changes the way medical professionals address pain medicine, says Dr. Sarah Rebstock, clinical director and a leader in the initiative. It’s often difficult to understand pain, particularly in children, due to its subjective nature. Usually, doctors only have measurements on a scale of one to ten to use as reference, and patients are released with improved conditions but still suffer from discomfort.

    The video games serve as a distraction for the children but also target their bodies the same way a physical therapy session would. Not only can doctors monitor heart rate or motion, but based on the observations, they can change treatment and therapy in real-time to adjust to kids’ abilities.

    If a child can only stretch his or her shoulder a few inches during a game, the Kinect software will detect the motion in degrees and indicate a problem area. The gaming system is able to target and track 24 musculoskeletal points in the body.

    “Pain is one of the most underserved areas in medicine in general,” Rebstock tells Mashable. “Until now, it has been impossible to quantitatively measure and monitor chronic pain in children … This is one of the largest advancements in pain medicine in the last several years.”

    Most children with chronic pain undergo lengthy, expensive evaluations before receiving treatment, and one in four parents of patients have quit their job or reduced working hours to care for them. With the new technology, families will be able to save time and money, Rebstock says.

    Compared to therapy sessions in a gym, patients who used the video game had a better range of motion and reported greater distraction from pain. Data collected as a part of the initiative will be used to optimize care for individuals and also help evaluate the success of past treatments.

    What do you think of healthcare centers using video games for treatment? Let us know in the comments.

    Image courtesy of Children’s National Medical Center

    source: Mashable