A Serious Game for Nutritional Education of Children and Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Abstract

Children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders seem to be more susceptible to developing obesity and eating disorders. To prevent this, therapeutic programs including nutritional education are, therefore, needed. Serious games (SGs) represent a promising solution to improve adherence to the treatment in different populations, including children/adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present paper describes the design and development of a SG to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first SG specifically focused on nutritional education developed for young individuals with ADHD or ASD. The SG is made of four mini-games contextualized within a single narrative frame. Through his/her avatar, the player has to challenge four opponents, one for each educational topic, with the help of a wise character that educates him/her throughout the story. The SG can be experienced with a tablet or a PC, and with the supervision of an adult. A pilot study will be carried out to evaluate the feasibility, engagement, and usability of the SG, involving children with ADHD, ASD, and a group of typically developing peers. Based on the results, some adaptations will be implemented to improve the SG before conducting a larger trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the SG in promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle.