Vision Audio Inc. has developed a PC game designed to provide assistance for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by teaching them to cope with noise while improving sensory processing.
EASe Funhouse Treasure Hunt combines therapeutic music with several different types of interactive immersion “designed to stimulate, but not over-stimulate, a child who is challenged by sensory processing and organization.”
Bill Mueller, president of Vision Audio explained, “Our goal is to balance the child’s sensory experiences. Too much stimulation can result in fight-or-flight responses. Too little stimulation and we won't get past the child's existing sensory defense mechanisms."
Those afflicted with ASD have difficulty filtering information from their environment, which can result in overstimulation, “A touch may feel like a burn, lights may be blinding, sounds deafening, smells repugnant.”
The game, recommended for kids ages six and up, is on sale for $39.00 on the EaseCD website. A demo is also available for download.
Comments
Re: PC Game Designed for Autistic Youths
This is a good idea. :)
"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry
Re: PC Game Designed for Autistic Youths
Having had mild Autism myself, I find it a good thing for Videogames to help any Autistic child to enjoy videogames.
My only queary on this sort of game is I would ask myself will this game be fun for all Autistic children?
Because if a game is not fun for the autistic child, then nobody would want to continue playing it.
Only if a game is fun, THEN that is when you will have the autistic child play it and sometimes for a longer period of time after other children get bored of it.
It is all nice for a game to be made for autistic children, but when I was younger and having mild Autism I found that I really enjoyed playing this game where I was a little marble ball and I had to make my way though this maze on the NES.
So I think that would be a better game to make not only for autistic children but also for other kids as well.
Even something like Pitfall without the 8 bit graphics but still easy to understand what the dangers are and how to jump over them is good enough and also need a little bit of challenge to them,
Just because children can be autistic does not mean that they are not able to adapt to the challenge of a videogame.
Re: PC Game Designed for Autistic Youths
^^This
I am also Autistic. I always would play Sonic the Hedgehog as a child (Megadrive one). Still play it now sometimes. It was challanging and fun.
"Just because children can be autistic does not mean that they are not able to adapt to the challenge of a videogame."
I still ecnounter people who cannot grasp this concept, not just for games though, but for many other things at life. Even after they have gotten to know me, when I tell them I am autistic I either get "You don't look autistic" or they treat me differently. It is like they suddenly have to be careful even though they might have known me for years. Weird isn't it?
Re: PC Game Designed for Autistic Youths
Well, lets just say that like how Videogames are percived by other other people, many people don't really understand Autism that much too.
Yes, sometimes autism can be different from person to person, but it does not mean that people even with the most severe of Autism could not play the Videogames that other kids play.
In any way, I feel that as long as the game is easy to pick up and get to understand what to do on the get go, Autistic children can pick up so many different things from videogames to almost anything else easily.
So don't think that just because someone is Autistic does not mean that they are not able to play the same games as a normal kid can.
For me, I have a few slow reactions so I am no good when it comes to Shooters, but I am ok with Japanese Platformers and I am really good with turn based Japanese RPGs since I love them allot.
Since I love the Japanese games, you could say that I excel at the Japanese games while I take some time adjusting to western videogames.