Mental Imagery Therapy for Autism (MITA) - An Early Intervention Computerized Brain Training Program for Children with ASD

Abstract

There is a broad consensus that early intervention has the greatest chance of positive impact on an individual with ASD. In this paper, we describe the development of an innovative computerized brain-training program for toddlers and preschoolers that has the potential to completely change their developmental trajectory. We describe the design of iPad-based game-like exercises that train a child to notice and respond to multiple cues. This ability is typically impaired in individuals with autism, leading to what is commonly described as stimulus overselectivity, or "tunnel vision." Improving the capacity to discern and to respond to multiple cues has been shown to reduce stimulus overselectivity subsequently leading to vast improvements in general learning. Our hypothesis is that regular, prolonged practice with such exercises will result not only in a greater ability to attend to multiple cues, but also in vast improvements in transfer tasks measuring visuospatial as well as communicative skills. We also aim to show that computerized brain-training that is based on evidence based therapies could be used to reduce the gap between the amount of therapy recommended for children with ASD and the amount they actually receive. Finally, we describe early indicators of game engagement and outline planned future work to test the games’ efficacy as a therapeutic tool. Keywords: