Improving perspective taking and empathy in children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

This paper discusses the design, implementation, and evaluation of a serious game intended to reinforce applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques used with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by providing a low cost and easily accessible supplement to traditional methods. The goal is develop a safe environment for social exploration and learning that boosts the child's confidence while providing calming mechanisms. Games increase children's motivation and thus increase the rate of learning in computer mediated environments. Furthermore, children with ASD are able to understand basic emotions and facial expressions in avatars more easily than in real-world interactions.