Augmented play helps autism

February 23, 2012 in Autism spectrum disorders

Augmented play helps autism

Enlarge

Playing with interactive toys could help children with autism to improve their social interaction with other children, say University of Sussex psychologists.

Dr. William Farr and Dr. Nicola Yuill, from the and Technology Lab at Sussex, have investigated with Dr Steve Hinske from Zurich in Switzerland how toys might be adapted to be more beneficial to autistic children and perhaps even act as a .

Writing in the latest issue of the International Journal of Arts and Technology, the research team explain how they have examined childhood social play with a Playmobil Knight's Castle toy.

Dr. Hinske added a wireless networking system and (RFIDs), allowing the Playmobil characters to speak or make different sounds when they are placed in different locations.

Their tests with who played with the Augmented Knight’s Castle (AKC) showed that the adaptations can improve understanding of and interest in the play set and the Playmobil figures. More importantly, the additions can also boost the level of social interaction and play with other children.

“Children with autism commonly struggle to understand the world around them, which means control over their own environment presents them with daily challenges,” the team say.

By offering a toy that responds with sound to children’s play, the AKC could reduce isolation for children with autism by giving them an increased understanding of how to control and engage with objects and - by extension - other children.

The researchers add that the play set could be used therapeutically but also perhaps diagnostically by compiling evidence of play patterns.

The team add: “In our lab we try to use technology to support, rather than replace, for children with autism.

“We think this sort of work has huge potential both for children with typical development and with a range of special needs.”

Provided by University of Sussex search and more info website

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • Learning curve of Electromagnetism?
    created1 hour ago
  • thin glass in liquid
    created1 hour ago
  • How many joules expended for a push up?
    created4 hours ago
  • force to keep the folding doors
    created4 hours ago
  • Confusion regarding direction of kinetic friction on inclined plane.
    created5 hours ago
  • Mage hand
    created11 hours ago
  • More from Physics Forums - Classical Physics

More news stories

Researcher helps give children with autism the chance to communicate

Research by Victoria University PhD education graduand Larah van der Meer highlights the importance of understanding the communication preferences of children with developmental disabilities such as autism.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 14, 2013 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Developers dive in to create a wealth of autism apps

At times, Andy Shih still finds himself overwhelmed by the groundswell of interest in autism applications he's seen in the three years since Apple Inc. released the first iPad.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 09, 2013 | popularity 2 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Enhanced motion perception in autism may point to an underlying cause of the disorder

Children with autism see simple movement twice as quickly as other children their age, and this hypersensitivity to motion may provide clues to a fundamental cause of the developmental disorder, according ...

Autism spectrum disorders created May 08, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Autism scientists seek more brains to aid research

(AP)—Autism scientists are seeking more brain samples for research.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 02, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Drug shows some benefit for kids with autism

(HealthDay)—An experimental drug for autism did not improve levels of lethargy and social withdrawal in children who took it, but it did show some other benefits, a new study finds.

Autism spectrum disorders created May 02, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0


New research identifies risks, interventions for children's GI health

An increasing number of U.S. children are experiencing gastrointestinal issues that require interventions to resolve, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW).

US psychiatry gets makeover in new manual

The latest makeover to a massive psychiatric tome honored by some, reviled by others and even called the "Bible" of mental disorders is being released Saturday with a host of new changes.

New case of SARS-like virus in Saudi: ministry

A new case of the deadly coronavirus has been detected in Saudi Arabia where 15 people have already died after contracting it, the health ministry announced on Saturday on its Internet website.

AIDS science at 30: 'Cure' now part of lexicon

Big names in medicine are set to give an upbeat assessment of the war on AIDS on Tuesday, 30 years after French researchers identified the virus that causes the disease.

For combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, 'fear circuitry' in the brain never rests

Chronic trauma can inflict lasting damage to brain regions associated with fear and anxiety. Previous imaging studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have shown that these brain regions can over-or ...

New colonoscope provides ground-breaking view of colon

A ground-breaking advance in colonoscopy technology signals the future of colorectal care, according to research presented today at Digestive Disease Week(DDW). Additional research focuses on optimizing the minimal withdrawal ...