Therapeutic Implications of Electronic Gaming for Children with Autism: A Review

Context: 

Current evidence regarding electronic gaming for children with autism can be challenging to interpret. This review evaluated the therapeutic implications of electronic gaming for children and adolescents with autism.

CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest, and google scholar databases were utilized to procure articles that were (1) published between the years 2017 and 2022 to encompass contemporary technologies; (2) original studies published in peer-reviewed journals; (3) published in English; (4) level of evidence 2 or higher; (5) subjects included children or young adults aged 0 to 21 years of age with a diagnosis of autism; and (6) the study examined a therapeutic implication of electronic gaming. The two authors independently conducted searches for articles. Article findings were compared against the inclusion/exclusion criteria until a consensus was reached.

Twenty-five articles were included in this review. There was strong evidence supporting the thematic findings of “executive function”, “perceptions and attitudes of caregivers and participants,” and moderate evidence for “motor skills,” and “social and emotional health.”

Electronic gaming was found to be beneficial when addressing executive function, motor skills, and social/emotional health. Caregiver involvement and age-based screen-time guidelines should be promoted to minimize potential harm.