The effectiveness of computer games on communication skills and emotion regulation of children with autism spectrum disorder

Different intervention programs are offered and implemented for autistic children. Due to using the artificial and machine instrumentals, computer games may be effective in teaching children with autism. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of computer games on communication skills and emotion regulation of children with autism spectrum disorders. 

The statistical population of this study included all children with autism disorder aged 7 to 9 years at the rehabilitation center in Tehran in 2019. For this purpose, 20 children were selected by the convenient sampling method and randomly assigned into two equal groups. The research instruments included the Social Communication Questionnaire (Rutter, Bailey, and Lord, 2003) and the Emotion Regulation Checklist (Shields and Cicchetti, 1998). The experimental members were trained with computer games in twelve 45-minute sessions three times a week. The data were analyzed by using covariance analysis and SPSS software. 

The results showed that computer games significantly affected the emotion regulation of children with autism disorder (P< 0.01). However, this effect on the communication skills was not significant (P> 0.05). 

It can be concluded that training with computer games improves the emotion regulation of children with autism disorder. Therefore, families, educational institutions, and psychological and counseling services centers can benefit from this method to improve this disorder.