201: Hard-Wired for Gaming

[jay-ell]

Hard-Wired for Gaming

Progressive parents have long known that videogames are a great motivator in their kids' lives. But for Jamie Dunston and her son Pearce, gaming is much more than that: It's a way for her to help him overcome some of the most difficult challenges posed by autism.

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[JLrep]

This is a great read! I have a mildly autistic cousin, and I remember that he was playing Mario, Mario 64, Mario Kart and GoldenEye 007 when he was four and five, and doing not half badly. He loved (and loves) video games and it's still a great way to connect with him.

 

[iburns]

Thank you for sharing, this article was a good read and it's refreshing to see parent's use video games to help their children.

 

[CosmicCommander]

Myself mildly suffering Autism, I see this a very intuitive way to teach your son about socialising, friendship, goals, and consequences for his actions.

 

[nova18]

Love this article.
Not only did you touch upon the greater uses of gaming, but it was also a really nice story.

 

[Xvito]

I'll have to agree with Pearce... The silicon sleeves do not belong.

Also, great article!

 

[yourbeliefs]

Good article. My wife is very anti-gaming (something I obviously didn't fully realize before marriage) and seeing some tangible benefits to gaming may at least sway her a little bit and not be a Nazi-esque mother when it comes to video games down the road with our kids..

 

[Blarneytoo]

Excellent article! Great to see positive writings about the effects of gaming, rather then the usal newspaper hyperbole.

 

[kastanok]

Fascinating read, thank you for sharing. I particularly noted the use of a question to imply intention (stopping playing with toys).

 

[Kajt]

Wonderful article!
Just wonderful!

 

[Stegofreak]

I must admit that this is one of the best gaming related articles I've read in a while. It reminds me of the times I played computer games with my ex's younger brother. Eventually we ended up playing Gran Turismo 3 because he loved cars and games. For all his problems he had a better knowledge of cars than I do!

 

[the_hessian]

My cousin is autistic and my girlfirends little bother has aspergers sydrome (a mild form of autism, very similare to OCD) and they both love video games...
My cousin, who is pretty difficult to understand sometimes when she speaks, is really articulate when it comes to gaming, surpassing the knowledge of the rest of her family, yet she still needs help getting ready sometimes and she's older than me...
I think it's wonderful that it's so helpful for people with such acute behavioral problems to be subdued and educated by something that most "normal" people scoff at others for being into...
It's all just proof that gaming really does help you... even if it is just making your reflexes faster or using logic a bit more often than you would in daily life.
I'm not saying it makes geniuses out of us, but hell, you never know...

 

[Generator]

Really is a wonderful article. My dad's friend's son has autism and also seems to be "hard-wired for gaming". It seems that the complexities of games don't really phase him. He just continues playing through defeats. I actually really wish I had determination like that.

 

[BunnyRabbit2]

That was a cool article. I myself "suffer" from Aspergers (I have never liked that way of putting it) and gaming has been one of the ways I dealt with it. Through joining online communities that didn't suck and by playing games that made me think more I have got to the point where people apparently don't see it in me.

The other thing I found was that by getting games that matched with interests of mine (Cars, military stuff and music) I was able to sort myself out much faster and deal with things easier. I know if I ever have kids and they end up with it I will be using games a lot to teach them various things

 

[Technocrat]

A sibling of a friend has suffered quite severely from autism his whole life, but unfortunately, and although his parents aren't exactly anti-videogame (not particularly pro, either), whenever I've offered him a go, his lego is more appealling than Mario. Ah well, some just don't have a taste for it!

 

[SnakeF]

Many members of my family have Aspergers Syndrome and I don't agree with you when you said that it is a mild form of Autism. Yes, Aspergers cases can fit into social roles slightly better but they can also be much more dangerous than Autistics; as they can fly into rages quite easily.

But this is a good article

 

[minarri]

This was an extremely interesting read. As a member of a family touched by the autism spectrum (particularly AS), I found myself thinking back to past experiences, and making some connections I'd never before made. My brother and I have always been into gaming, and though we're both pretty anal about doing as well as possible he's always shown much more determination than I in reaching achievements.

Many members of my family have Aspergers Syndrome and I don't agree with you when you said that it is a mild form of Autism. Yes, Aspergers cases can fit into social roles slightly better but they can also be much more dangerous than Autistics; as they can fly into rages quite easily.

I agree completely. While AS is a part of the autism spectrum, I'd never consider it to be a "mild form" of autism. People with AS encounter unique experiences and challenges.

 

[smithy1234]

Very good article, it was very interesting. My brothers friend is autistic and he plays video games all the time, I sort of got a glimpse into what his world might be like with this article. Good job!