Simply Psychology’s Post

Article on TTRPGs and adults with autism: "This freedom can, over time, allow players to experience the psychological phoenomenon ‘bleed’ or the blurring between the game and real life (Bowman & Lieberoth, 2018). Creane (2021) likens bleed to the TTRPG acting as a membrane with selectively permeable properties. Often, when players are within the membrane of the game, experiences are contained, and participants can quickly enter and leave the game with no lasting effects. However, the membrane can be ‘punctured’ by an emotional experience, resulting in either ‘bleeding-in’ or ‘bleeding-out’ or having in-game events become entangled with personal life histories. Bleed is, in many ways, inextricably tied to the level of immersion a person experiences with the TTRPG world and their character. When the game no longer feels like an illusion, a person may be persistently or even permanently affected by their TTRPG experience (Bowman, 2018)." https://lnkd.in/eQANBuxU

It's fascinating to learn about the valuable benefits that board games offer to individuals with autism. Recent research from the University of Plymouth in the U.K. has shed light on the strong connection between board games and individuals with autistic traits. This newfound understanding opens up possibilities for designing future wellbeing programs and social enrichment activities tailored to the needs of this community. #Autism #BoardGames #WellbeingInitiatives #SocialEnrichment #ResearchDiscovery

Playing D&D Helps Autistic Players In Social Interactions, Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Since its introduction in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons has become one of the most influential tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) in popular culture, featuring heavily in Stranger Things, for example, and spawning a blockbuster movie released last year. Over the last decade or so, researchers have turned their focus more heavily to the ways in which D&D and other TRPGs can help people with autism form healthy social connections, in part because the gaming environment offers clear rules around social interactions. According to the authors of a new paper published in the journal Autism, D&D helped boost players' confidence with autism, giving them a strong sense of kinship or belonging, among other benefits. "There are many myths and misconceptions about autism, with some of the biggest suggesting that those with it aren't socially motivated, or don't have any imagination," said co-author Gray Atherton, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth. "Dungeons & Dragons goes against all that, centering around working together in a team, all of which takes place in a completely imaginary environment. Those taking part in our study saw the game as a breath of fresh air, a chance to take on a different persona and share experiences outside of an often challenging reality. That sense of escapism made them feel incredibly comfortable, and many of them said they were now trying to apply aspects of it in their daily lives." [...] For this latest study. Atherton et al. wanted to specifically investigate how autistic players experience D&D when playing in groups with other autistic players. It's essentially a case study with a small sample size -- just eight participants -- and qualitative in nature, since the post-play analysis focused on semistructured interviews with each player after the conclusion of the online campaign, the better to highlight their individual voices. The players were recruited through social media advertisements within the D&D, Reddit and Discord online communities; all had received an autism diagnosis by a medical professional. They were split into two groups of four players, with one of the researchers (who's been playing D&D for years) acting as the dungeon master. The online sessions featured in the study was the Waterdeep: Dragonheist campaign. The campaign ran for six weeks, with sessions lasting between two and four hours (including breaks). Participants spoke repeatedly about the positive benefits they received from playing D&D, providing a friendly environment that helped them relax about social pressures. "When you're interacting with people over D&D, you're more likely to understand what's going on," one participant said in their study interview. "That's because the method you'll use to interact is written out. You can see what you're meant to do. There's an actual sort of reference sheet for some

Playing D&D Helps Autistic Players In Social Interactions, Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Since its introduction in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons has become one of the most influential tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) in popular culture, featuring heavily in Stranger Things, for example, and spawning a blockbuster movie released last year. Over the last decade or so, researchers have turned their focus more heavily to the ways in which D&D and other TRPGs can help people with autism form healthy social connections, in part because the gaming environment offers clear rules around social interactions. According to the authors of a new paper published in the journal Autism, D&D helped boost players' confidence with autism, giving them a strong sense of kinship or belonging, among other benefits. "There are many myths and misconceptions about autism, with some of the biggest suggesting that those with it aren't socially motivated, or don't have any imagination," said co-author Gray Atherton, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth. "Dungeons & Dragons goes against all that, centering around working together in a team, all of which takes place in a completely imaginary environment. Those taking part in our study saw the game as a breath of fresh air, a chance to take on a different persona and share experiences outside of an often challenging reality. That sense of escapism made them feel incredibly comfortable, and many of them said they were now trying to apply aspects of it in their daily lives." [...] For this latest study. Atherton et al. wanted to specifically investigate how autistic players experience D&D when playing in groups with other autistic players. It's essentially a case study with a small sample size -- just eight participants -- and qualitative in nature, since the post-play analysis focused on semistructured interviews with each player after the conclusion of the online campaign, the better to highlight their individual voices. The players were recruited through social media advertisements within the D&D, Reddit and Discord online communities; all had received an autism diagnosis by a medical professional. They were split into two groups of four players, with one of the researchers (who's been playing D&D for years) acting as the dungeon master. The online sessions featured in the study was the Waterdeep: Dragonheist campaign. The campaign ran for six weeks, with sessions lasting between two and four hours (including breaks). Participants spoke repeatedly about the positive benefits they received from playing D&D, providing a friendly environment that helped them relax about social pressures. "When you're interacting with people over D&D, you're more likely to understand what's going on," one participant said in their study interview. "That's because the method you'll use to interact is written out. You can see what you're meant to do. There's an actual sort of reference sheet for so

"Dr Atherton said: "We know that board games are a safe and valuable hobby to many people with autism. What this research established was why that's the case, and we really want to use the findings to conduct future work. "The findings as a whole aren't a shock, but what is surprising is the lack of evidence underpinning board game use as an intervention for people with autism." "Everyone with autism is unique, and we want to ensure any interventions could be adapted as needed for those who might benefit." ----- #WithNotOn 🧠 #AutRes 📚 #AutisticCulture 🌈 #Masking #Unmasking #Unearthing #UnearthingAutisticCulture #Autistic #Autism #Autist #AuDHD #AdultAutism #AdultAutistic #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #Neurodivergence #PsychNP #PMHNP #APRN #Therapy #MentalHealth #MentalHealthcare

Playing D&D Helps Autistic Players In Social Interactions, Study Finds: An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Since its introduction in the 1970s, Dungeons & Dragons has become one of the most influential tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) in popular culture, featuring heavily in Stranger Things, for example, and spawning a blockbuster movie released last year. Over the last decade or so, researchers have turned their focus more heavily to the ways in which D&D and other TRPGs can help people with autism form healthy social connections, in part because the gaming environment offers clear rules around social interactions. According to the authors of a new paper published in the journal Autism, D&D helped boost players' confidence with autism, giving them a strong sense of kinship or belonging, among other benefits. "There are many myths and misconceptions about autism, with some of the biggest suggesting that those with it aren't socially motivated, or don't have any imagination," said co-author Gray Atherton, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth. "Dungeons & Dragons goes against all that, centering around working together in a team, all of which takes place in a completely imaginary environment. Those taking part in our study saw the game as a breath of fresh air, a chance to take on a different persona and share experiences outside of an often challenging reality. That sense of escapism made them feel incredibly comfortable, and many of them said they were now trying to apply aspects of it in their daily lives." [...] For this latest study. Atherton et al. wanted to specifically investigate how autistic players experience D&D when playing in groups with other autistic players. It's essentially a case study with a small sample size -- just eight participants -- and qualitative in nature, since the post-play analysis focused on semistructured interviews with each player after the conclusion of the online campaign, the better to highlight their individual voices. The players were recruited through social media advertisements within the D&D, Reddit and Discord online communities; all had received an autism diagnosis by a medical professional. They were split into two groups of four players, with one of the researchers (who's been playing D&D for years) acting as the dungeon master. The online sessions featured in the study was the Waterdeep: Dragonheist campaign. The campaign ran for six weeks, with sessions lasting between two and four hours (including breaks). Participants spoke repeatedly about the positive benefits they received from playing D&D, providing a friendly environment that helped them relax about social pressures. "When you're interacting with people over D&D, you're more likely to understand what's going on," one participant said in their study interview. "That's because the method you'll use to interact is written out. You can see what you're meant to do. There's an actual sort of reference sheet for so

Did you know that there are benefits video games give to kids on the spectrum? I can hear my grandpa rolling over in his grave for this one 🤣🤣🤣 But I am telling you as a kid that had AN EXTRA FREAKING SCOOP of undiagnosed adhd and adored video games…..I wanted to shout from the rooftops that our attention isn’t disabled it’s just different. Video games provided me a reward system that made sense. X + Y = Z every time and you couldn’t argue that. It’s also why I loved Math so much and almost failed English. I write exactly how thoughts come into my brain. Quickly with no autocorrect or structure at all. Just a stream of endless consciousness using as many words as humanly possible 👀💁🏻♀️🤣 But with video games it isn’t biased. You press X then that command is what always happens. I loved it. I also see why my nuero-spicy offspring loves it. *fun fact nuero-spicy offspring is what they now will be forever called. Just because it makes me laugh 🤷🏻♀️ We are a unique bunch since we all game and we have to show them putting adult chores first is a must (My inner child is kicking and screaming don’t you worry 🤣) I have conversations all the time with my boys that go like this “I want to be gaming all day too. TRUST. ME. But we work hard with balance and that’s ok. Our brains always need breaks. The saying too much of a good thing is never a good thing is true.” So I make myself OR being an adult forces me take breaks. You know why I would ahhhhbsolutely play these games all day though? The storylines some of these video games have is absolutely life changing. You get to really practice empathy because you ARE these characters. Elle screaming for Joel in Last of Us 2 by Naughty Dog ……….after walking in their shoes for 2 games. It’s gut wrenching and reminds me that we don’t know what someone else has lived through. So be kind, because kindness isn’t weakness. You don’t know if someone being “addicted” to video games is because they are lazy or distracted. Maybe they are actually learning to walk with a someone through the ups and downs. Feeling what they feel. Or maybe they are just trolling their brother in smash brothers 🤷🏻♀️ Either way there is a great lesson learned there somewhere🤣🤣🤣🤣 #videogames #autism #adhd #asd #nuerospicy 🌶️ #lastofus2 #naughtydog

🚀 Discover how digital apps are revolutionizing support for individuals with autism. From enhancing communication to promoting relaxation, these tools are empowering and inclusive. AssistiveWare, Tobii Dynavox, Yalmo, Social Thinking, Articulation Essentials, Touch Autism, Calm https://lnkd.in/ehzmg7VD #DigitalHealth #MentalHealth #InclusiveApps #AutismSupport #AutismApps

Imagine a world where communication barriers fade away and individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can express themselves like never before.  Thanks to incredible advancements in technology tools like speech generating devices and autism friendly apps are opening new doors for those who struggle with verbal communication. These innovations are not just changing how people with autism communicate, they're transforming lives, offering new ways to connect, learn and thrive. The future of communication for individuals with autism is here and it's more exciting than ever! https://lnkd.in/eW3g_7iX

Ever wondered how the intersection of VR and behavioral science could revolutionize autism services? 🚀 Imagine a world where virtual reality isn’t just for gaming but a gateway to enhancing learning and therapy for individuals with autism. 🌐 That’s the future we’re not just imagining but watching the building of. 🏗 With VR simulations, we’re granting practioners the space to amplify how they are creating immersive, controlled environments that offer repeatable scenarios for social and learning exercises🤯 It’s about providing a safe space for individuals with autism to explore, learn, and grow at their own pace. 🛡 But it doesn’t stop there‼️ By integrating principles of behavioral economics, we’re making every interaction more intuitive and rewarding, helping to understand and shape decision-making processes in innovative ways. 🧠 Gamification takes this a step further by embedding learning and therapy into engaging, rewarding games that captivate and educate simultaneously. The results? Come check us out and possibly hear about enhanced engagement, motivation, and, ultimately, therapy outcomes. 🎮 And at the heart of it all is a seamless user experience, designed meticulously around the needs and preferences of individuals with autism. With Behavior Live, we ensure these digital solutions are accessible, engaging, and effective, no matter where you are. ❤️ You don’t even have to wear socks 🙃 So, who’s ready to join us on this transformative journey? 🛤 If you’re passionate about leveraging technology for groundbreaking impact in autism services, check out the upcoming BIG Behavior Analytic Tech Conference and Annual Gathering Event (BATCAGE) 📣 Your insights could help shape the next breakthrough in therapy and education. 💡 Together, we can create a world where technology and compassion intersect to open up new possibilities for individuals with autism. Let’s make it happen. ✨ 👉🏾Don’t miss out! Comment below Share this post Drop us a message to learn more about the conference and how you can get involved. 💌 Hesitating? Let us know what’s stopping you ?