Is there evidence that playing games promotes social skills training for autistic children and youth?
Orla Walsh, Conor Linehan, Christian Ryan
PMID 39305194WHAT IT FOUND
Game-based interventions improved social skills in autistic children, but evidence is weak because many studies lacked pre- and post-measures and did not clearly define which skills were being taught or why.
Key findings
01All included studies reported that game-based interventions promoted social skills in autistic children and youth.
02The review found a discrepancy in the rigour of outcome measurement, with some studies relying solely on observations without pre- and post-testing.
03Many studies failed to justify why specific social skills were chosen for intervention, often referring only to broad diagnostic criteria.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Many included studies lacked rigorous outcome measures, such as pre- and post-testing, making it hard to confirm that the game itself caused the improvement. The definition of 'social skills' varied significantly across studies, preventing direct comparison of results. The review excluded case reports and theoretical papers, which may have limited the scope of evidence. The first author is autistic and analyzed the studies through a neurodivergent lens, which may have influenced the interpretation of the findings regarding social norms. Most interventions involved extensive adult facilitation, which may not reflect real-world conditions where peers or self-directed play are key.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improvements in game-based social skills will automatically transfer to real-life peer interactions. The review found that many studies lacked rigorous pre- and post-measures, and the social context in games often involved virtual agents or heavy adult facilitation, which differs from naturalistic settings.