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Research Article: Serious Games for Developing Social Skills in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Date Published: 2024-02-20

Abstract:
Serious games represent a promising avenue for intervention with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by persistent challenges in social communication and the presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors. Despite this potential, comprehensive reviews on this subject are scarce. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of serious games and their specific characteristics in enhancing social skills among children and adolescents with autism. Employing PICO strategies and adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we screened 149 studies initially identified through PubMed and EBSCOhost databases. Nine studies met inclusion criteria and found a positive influence of serious games on social skills and related domains, encompassing emotion recognition/encoding/decoding, emotional regulation, eye gaze, joint attention, and behavioral skills. Nevertheless, despite these promising results, the limited available evidence underscores the need for rigorous study designs to consolidate findings and integrate evidence-based intervention strategies.

Introduction:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent impairments in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior [1]. One defining aspect of this disorder is the difficulty with social interactions. Scholars, such as Baron-Cohen [2], have proposed that impairments in social skills span a broad spectrum. At one end, some children tend toward solitude, avoiding interactions with others. Conversely, at the other end, some actively seek social engagement…

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