ADDventurous Rhythmical Planet: A 3D Rhythm-Based Serious Game for Social Skills Development of Children with ADHD

Abstract

Children diagnosed with ADHD are often at a disadvantage regarding their social interactions at school and at play due to their symptomatic inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. That may lead to isolation, low self-esteem and even depression. Music is shown to significantly help children maintain focused attention as well as offer a timed structure around their actions, involving melody and tempo. Music can also aid the development of cognitive ability, self-confidence and promote limits and rules. Through music, children can learn how to control their impulsivity, learn to pause and wait for their turn and apply such social skills to their every-day life. This paper presents a multimodal 3D serious game named “ADDventurous Rhythmical Planet”. Its goal is to exploit the benefits of music and rhythm helping children diagnosed with ADHD to overcome their psychosocial challenges, unlike currently available games offering interaction based on only the visual modality.