froggybobby - EXERGAMES IMPROVE visual-MOTOR COORDINATION OF CHILDREN WITH ASD USING REHABILITATION TECHNIQUES
froggybobby - EXERGAMES IMPROVE visual-MOTOR COORDINATION OF CHILDREN WITH ASD USING REHABILITATION TECHNIQUES
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Problem: About 80% of children with autism have deficits in visual-motor integration skills. Visual-motor integration is defined as the degree to which visual perception and body movements, including the movements of arms and legs, are well coordinated. The deficits in visual-motor integration could minimize children with autism´s opportunities to participate in team sports and limit their ability to integrate into society and to be independent. Nowadays, there are exergames that are being designed to persuade children with autism to practice motor skills. However, it has not been explored how exergames can support the visual-motor integration skills development for this population.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that an exergame will outperform traditional tools during motor development therapies in improving the visual-coordination of children with ASD. In this research project, we present the design, development, and evaluation of an exergame calles FroggyBobby.
Keywords: Exergame, depth camera, movement, ASD, children, motor coordination
FroggyBobby is an an exergame to support children with motor problems when practicing eye-body coordination exercises. It uses a frog avatar whose tongue is controlled by children’s arms. Children have to practice with each specific arm cross-pattern movements excercises. The basic gameplay of FroggyBobby demands children to move their left or right arm from up to down in a lateral way. Children start by pointing on the start button, located on the upper area of the screen, and ‘‘swiping’’ their arm towards the end button located in the lower area of the screen, catching as many flies as possible in the path between the start and the end buttons. FroggyBobby monitors which arm a child is using at a particular moment, and limits its functionality according to the dynamic of each level. For each level, children alternate between their right and left arm. FroggyBobby appears the start and end buttons in the corresponding area, either right or left.
A child using FroggyBobby to practice with her right arm how to catch the flies between the path of the two buttons
Evaluation methods: Twenty-one children with ASD used FroggyBobby, as a part of a 3-month intervention in two clinics attending children with autism, one located in Tijuana and another one located in Mexicali. Participants were randomly assigned to either use an FroggyBobby (experimental group) or paper-based visual supports (control group). We conducted pre- and post- assessment evaluations, including theDevelopmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) and motor assessments related to visual motor coordination.
A child with autism with severe motor coordination problems who show little improvement after using FroggyBobby
A child with severe autism who shown high improvement after using FroggyBobby
Outcomes and results: The results indicate that children improved their visual-motor integration skills by practicing the motor exercises promoted by FroggyBobby. In addition, children performed a higher percentage of aimed limb movements using FroggyBobby than during the traditional therapy. The results of this work show that the exergame designed according to the specific characteristics of the autism population supports visual-motor integration skills of children with autism.
Full demo showing how children with ASD use FroggyBobby in practice
We thank other collaborators involved in this project including professor Ana I. Martinez Garcia (CICESE), professor Marina Alvelais (Cetys Universidad) and our sponsors:
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