Therapeutic Study of a Gamified Treatment Platform for Adolescent Autism Patients in Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/v7v5t905Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gamified Intervention, Adolescents, Social Skills, Virtual Reality, Game-Based InterventionsAbstract
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents significant challenges in social communication and behavior, with limited access to evidence-based interventions in developing countries like Pakistan. Game-based interventions have emerged as promising approaches to address core ASD symptoms, but their efficacy in the Pakistani adolescent population remains underexplored.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial evaluated a gamified treatment platform specifically adapted for Pakistani adolescents with ASD aged 12-18 years (n=45). Participants were randomly assigned to either the gamified intervention group (n=23) or traditional behavioral therapy group (n=22). The intervention consisted of 12-week, bi-weekly sessions using a culturally adapted virtual reality platform targeting social skills, emotion recognition, and daily living activities. Primary outcomes included social responsiveness, emotion recognition accuracy, and adaptive behavior functioning.
Results: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant improvements in the intervention group compared to controls on all primary outcome measures. Social responsiveness scores showed significant improvement (F(1,43)=8.92, p<0.005), with large effect sizes (η²=0.67). Emotion recognition accuracy increased significantly (from 45% to 72% in the intervention group versus 48% to 55% in controls). Both groups showed reduction in ASD-related symptoms, but the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in social communication and motivation.
Conclusion: The gamified treatment platform demonstrated significant benefits for Pakistani adolescents with ASD, particularly in social responsiveness and emotion recognition. Results support the cultural adaptation and implementation of game-based interventions in resource-limited settings. Future studies should explore long-term maintenance effects and implementation in diverse healthcare contexts.
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