Improving Adaptive and Cognitive Skills of Children With an Intellectual Disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder: Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials on the Effects of Serious Games
International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction
Derks, S., Willemen, A. M., et al. (2022).
International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 33, 100488.
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the effects of serious games on the social and cognitive skills of children with intellectual disability and children on the autism spectrum.
The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development
From database inception to December 23, 2020
Randomized-controlled trials
11
Serious games were shown to improve adaptive social and cognitive skills for children with intellectual disabilities and children on the autism spectrum with small effects (g = 0.420, 95% CI = 0.130–0.710). Heterogeneity was moderate to high and significant. Analysis detected no outliers. Following influence analysis, heterogeneity decreased to zero with the exclusion of 3 studies; mean effect sizes remained small (g = 0.201; 95% CI = 0.0274–0.375) and were still significant. <br /><br />Categorical moderation analysis showed no significant differences between groups by outcome (social or cognitive skills), comparison group (no intervention, treatment as usual, or control game), intervention facilitator (parent or trainer), intervention duration, or participant age.<br /><br />Limitations of this review included varied methodological quality of the included studies, small sample sizes, and heterogeneity of the interventions and outcomes investigated.
