Q: What if we cannot afford to have an iPad in our home?
A: If you have applied for Autism Funding in the province of British Columbia, then you are eligible to use your funding to purchase an iPad (one device every 3 years). If you are unable to receive this funding, talk to your child’s school or clinic about what resources are available to you.
Q: I’ve heard that too much screen time isn’t good for my child. Will too much time on these apps negatively impact my child’s health?
A: The Canadian Paediatric Society’s recommendations for screen time are as follows:
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- Screen time for children younger than 2 years is not recommended
- For children 2 to 5 years, limit routine or regular screen time to less than 1 hour per day
- For children over 5, limit recreational screen time to no more than 2 hours a day
- Ensure that sedentary screen time is not a routine part of child care for children younger than 5 years
- Maintain daily ‘screen-free’ times, especially for family meals and book sharing
- Avoid screens for at least 1 hour before bedtime
We advise to follow these recommendations, and use the games recommended on this website within the guidelines of daily screen time activity.
Q: How can I use Guided Access on the iPad to lock apps and use timers to limit my child’s screen time?
A: Guided Access allows you to set a screen time limit on your iPhone or iPad. The iPhone or iPad will be automatically locked after the time limit expires. You’ll need to enable Guided Access first. Open the “Settings” app and go to General > Accessibility. Tap “Guided Access” under Learning. Enable the “Guided Access” slider and tap “Passcode Settings” to set a passcode. You can use the same passcode you use to unlock your iPhone or iPad, or a different one–it’s up to you. If you have a device with Touch ID sensor, the “Touch ID” option allows you to use your fingerprint to unlock Guided Access mode without having to type your passcode.
Tap the “Time Limits” option on the Guided Access screen to configure time limit sounds. By default, no sounds will play and Guided Access’s time limit will end silently. If you’d like an audible alert when the Guided Access time limit is up, use the Sound and Speak options here. The Sound option allows you to select a sound that will play when the time limit is up–by default it’s “None,” but you can tap the “Sound” option and scroll through the list of alert sounds on your iPhone and choose one. The “Speak” option will speak the remaining time aloud when you enable it–for example, it’ll say something when there are approximately 30 seconds left. A notification will appear on the screen when this happens, but Speak makes the notification audible.
Once you’ve enabled and configured Guided Access, you’re good to go. Whenever you like, you can now open any app you choose (like a game). Then, quickly press the “Home” button three times in a row to enable Guided Access for that app. Tap the “Options” button in the bottom-left corner of the Guided Access screen that appears and enable the “Time Limit” option. You can set any time limit you want in increments of one minute, from one minute to 23 hours and 59 minutes. Tap “Done” and tap the “Start” option at the top-right corner of the screen to put the device into Guided Access mode and apply your time limit. Your iPhone or iPad will be locked to the specific application you chose.
When the time limit expires, the iPhone or iPad will lock itself until you enter the PIN you provided earlier. To leave Guided Access at any time–including before the time limit ends–just press the “Home” button three times in a row and enter your PIN. If you’ve enabled Touch ID, you can also just press the “Home” button once and leave your finger on the sensor. Tap “End” at the top-left corner of the screen if the Guided Access screen appears. Guided Access will be disabled. (Information taken from this website).
Q: Where can I find links to download the games?
A: On our webpage – asdtechnology.osot.ubc.ca
Q: Is it more beneficial for my child to see his/her therapist or to play a game at therapy?
A: Both can be beneficial, and it depends on the child. We suggest talking to your clinician about using games and seeing what will work best for your child.
Q: I already use an app with my child that isn’t on this site, and it seems to increase their social skills. Should I keep using it?
A: If you think it is working, then you should continue to use it. We would also appreciate it if you would send it to us so that we can review it, and potentially add it to the site. Please contact us if you have a game you think should be added.
Q: Why do children with ASD seem to prefer games/apps over traditional therapy?
A: It has been shown that people with ASD have an affinity for computers and videogames. By using this form of technology as therapy for your child, it could increase their motivation for engaging in programs in this format.
Q: Can I make time for both traditional therapy and games/apps?
A: Yes, it is good for your child to have a mix of both traditional therapy and apps
Q: How much time should my child spend on these games per week?
A: Talk to your child’s clinician to determine this.
Q: Should my child still play regular video games or should he/she focus on these?
A: You should still allow your child to play games he/she enjoys, so as long as you have a balance and can stick to the recommendations for daily screen time then yes, your child can still play regular video games.
Q: The google glasses are really expensive and I can’t afford them in my home! What should I do?
A: Unfortunately some of the games that have been developed are very expensive, and aren’t feasible for most families to use. You could talk to your child’s therapist or school about purchasing the Brain Power Autism System, as they have more funding and could use it with other children as well. However, clinics and schools may also not have the funding to purchase this program.
Q: Much of the evidence you found has a strength rating of 1. Does this mean it does not portray accurate information?
A: The tools we use to assess our evidence are very rigorous, and even the smallest oversight could result in a study being rated as a 1. The evidence we found is still useful, and we would suggest using these games over games that haven’t been reviewed by the evidence. The purpose of the rating is to say that there are little errors in the study, which could possibly have affected the results.
Q: How can I increase my involvement when my child uses screens?
A: Help your child to develop healthy gaming habits (E.g. Use an external visual timer to measure screen time, teach them how to choose quality content, etc.), remind the child before time is up (E.g. “5 minutes left”) and reward appropriate behaviour like closing the game, set a time limit on the iPad by using the guided access feature (found under Settings -> General -> Accessibility), and modelling appropriate gaming habits for you child (I.e stopping when time is up).
Q: How can I enhance my child’s learning when they’re playing games?
A: It is recommended to discuss the video games with your child. Make connections between game experiences and real life experiences (E.g. “Do you remember when we looked at the face in the game and guessed the kid’s feelings, now look at this child’s face – can you guess what he is feeling?”). Ask your child questions such as: “What did you like about the game?” “What didn’t you like about the game?” “Why did you or didn’t you like those parts?” “If you could, what would you add to the game?” “What do you think about the characters or situations in this game?” “Are there new things you learned from the game?”