Proposal: Gamified Learning for Children with ASD to support their functional independence
Context:
Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities (THKMC) is a charity that offers social and welfare services to the community. Their Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) provides specialized support to young children with developmental needs, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They operate four EIPIC centers in Singapore, staffed by a team of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), including occupational therapists, social workers, and psychologists. These AHPs support children between the ages of five and eight, helping them to develop Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Community Living (CL) skills. However, the AHPs face various key challenges.
Through the OpenInnovation challenge platform in 2023, THKMC requested a gamification solution that can help AHPs and caregivers provide consistent training support to children with ASD and boost their learning motivation. They are looking for a solution that can facilitate the monitoring and measuring developmental outcomes to track progress and gain insight for continuous interventions. As the involvement of caregivers and parents is crucial, the platform should also provide opportunities for them to engage the child in the home environment. Overall, the goal is to support the functional independence of children with ASD in acquiring, anchoring, retaining, and applying ADL and CL skills.
Team Gametize took on the challenge with the following proposal. Please note the proposal was not implemented, but we decided to share and publish the proposal in the spirit of advocating for the cause and our potential solution. If you would like to learn more, please contact us through academy@gametize.com.
Problem Statement
How might gamification technologies help AHPs provide more consistent training support and boost the learning motivation of children with ASD to support them in gaining functional independence?
Understanding the users
As we strive to understand our autistic clients, we learn that structure is key to their success. By establishing routines and maintaining consistency in presentation, language, and feedback, we can unlock their potential and promote learning. Next, we also understood that Repetitive activities can serve as anchors for their knowledge. Using consistent words and avoiding confusion can create a predictable learning journey that fosters growth and minimizes frustration. Ultimately, we empower children with autism by giving them control over their learning experience, including the pace and repetition of tasks.
Implementation plan
Our objective is to work with THKMC and stakeholders to launch a campaign on gametize.com to achieve the following objectives:
- Support children with ASD in acquiring functional competencies like ADL and CL skills and retaining and applying them.
- Facilitate monitoring and measuring of developmental outcomes.
- Equip AHPs and champions with the ability to create, edit, and curate fresh content with the platform’s training and support.
Potential benefits
- Increased engagement: Using Gametize’s game elements, such as challenges, rewards, and feedback mechanisms, we can create a gamified learning environment that motivates and engages young learners.
- Drive and Anchor Learning: Our goal is to make learning mundane tasks enjoyable and interesting through a relatable and fun learning journey, which aids in task completion and retention.
- Behavior change: Encouraging positive behavior and actions through rewards and recognition can motivate learners to apply their newly acquired skills.
- Social impact: Equipping young learners with necessary skills supports personal growth integration into society and improves quality of life.
Proposed Solution and System
- Create white-label apps with simple customizations quickly on Gametize.com. The solution is hosted and managed on our server and database (powered by Amazon Web Services), minimizing overheads.
- The use of Gametize Gamification Strategy – Using the 6D Playbook. Gametize firmly believes in a test-driven approach and thorough and structured design-thinking processes. You can learn more about Gametize 6D Playbook.
- Experience the Gametize Prototype – Play The Game!
About Gametize
Gametize is the world’s simplest enterprise-grade gamification platform for community engagement and advocacy. Clients use Gametize to motivate target behaviors, such as employee training/ performance management or consumer marketing/ sales advocacy. The highly customizable and versatile solution is available on both cloud and on-premises. Gametize is proud to be one of eight winning solutions to be piloted in the Jurong Lake District (JLD) to lead the way in urban sustainability at the recent Innovation Challenge, organized by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) – See for the press release.