@article{Khowaja20191,
title = {Serious Game for Children with Autism to Learn Vocabulary: An Experimental Evaluation},
author = {K Khowaja and S S Salim},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85041121490&doi=10.1080%2f10447318.2017.1420006&partnerID=40&md5=156c0d5a4f725ee03fcae97740a468c2},
doi = {10.1080/10447318.2017.1420006},
issn = {10447318},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction},
volume = {35},
number = {1},
pages = {1-26},
publisher = {Taylor and Francis Inc.},
abstract = {The use of serious games (SGs) to provide intervention for various skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased in the recent years. However, the potential of these games has not been utilized to provide learning of vocabulary to children with ASD. In designing games for children with ASD, there is a need to consider components specifically from the perspectives of ASD and the generic components that can support from the theoretical, content, and game design aspects. In the absence of any existing framework to design games for children with ASD, this article first introduces a framework named serious game design framework (SGDF), constructed to provide support throughout the design process. This framework was constructed based on the extensive review of the literature on ASD and existing SGDFs. The article then focuses on the design and development of a SG prototype based on SGDF. An experimental evaluation prototype was conducted to examine the effectiveness using the withdrawal design of single-subject research design (SSRD) in improving the receptive identification of vocabulary items among children with autism before and after using the prototype. The receptive identification of vocabulary items is measured in terms of the number of correct responses given and the number of attempts made to identify the correct response. The pre- and post-evaluations of the SG prototype show that learning of vocabulary items among children with ASD improved after using the game and they retained items at the end of weeks 1 and 2 following the withdrawal of intervention. © 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.},
note = {cited By 13},
keywords = {Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children with Autism, Design and Development, Diseases, Experimental Evaluation, Game Prototypes, Games, Generic Components, Language Comprehensions, Serious Games, Vocabulary},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Assaf2013321,
title = {Mentalizing and motivation neural function during social interactions in autism spectrum disorders},
author = {M Assaf and C J Hyatt and C G Wong and M R Johnson and R T Schultz and T Hendler and G D Pearlson},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84885394367&doi=10.1016%2fj.nicl.2013.09.005&partnerID=40&md5=b63630c997b658167792266e40e855b6},
doi = {10.1016/j.nicl.2013.09.005},
issn = {22131582},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-01-01},
journal = {NeuroImage: Clinical},
volume = {3},
pages = {321-331},
abstract = {Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are characterized by core deficits in social functions. Two theories have been suggested to explain these deficits: mind-blindness theory posits impaired mentalizing processes (i.e. decreased ability for establishing a representation of others' state of mind), while social motivation theory proposes that diminished reward value for social information leads to reduced social attention, social interactions, and social learning. Mentalizing and motivation are integral to typical social interactions, and neuroimaging evidence points to independent brain networks that support these processes in healthy individuals. However, the simultaneous function of these networks has not been explored in individuals with ASDs. We used a social, interactive fMRI task, the Domino game, to explore mentalizing- and motivation-related brain activation during a well-defined interval where participants respond to rewards or punishments (i.e. motivation) and concurrently process information about their opponent's potential next actions (i.e. mentalizing). Thirteen individuals with high-functioning ASDs, ages 12-24, and 14 healthy controls played fMRI Domino games against a computer-opponent and separately, what they were led to believe was a human-opponent. Results showed that while individuals with ASDs understood the game rules and played similarly to controls, they showed diminished neural activity during the human-opponent runs only (i.e. in a social context) in bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG) during mentalizing and right Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) during reward-related motivation (Pcluster < 0.05 FWE). Importantly, deficits were not observed in these areas when playing against a computer-opponent or in areas related to motor and visual processes. These results demonstrate that while MTG and NAcc, which are critical structures in the mentalizing and motivation networks, respectively, activate normally in a non-social context, they fail to respond in an otherwise identical social context in ASD compared to controls. We discuss implications to both the mind-blindness and social motivation theories of ASD and the importance of social context in research and treatment protocols. © 2013 The Authors.},
note = {cited By 28},
keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Article, Autism, Brain Function, Children, Computer, Controlled Study, Female, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Games, Groups by Age, Human, Major Clinical Study, Male, Mental Capacity, Middle Temporal Gyrus, Motivation, Motor Performance, Nerve Cell, Nerve Function, Nucleus Accumbens, Priority Journal, Punishment, Reward, School Child, Social Cognition, Social Environment, Social Interactions, Task Performance, Theory of Mind, Vision},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}