Mushroom Hunters: A Digital Game for Assessing and Training Sustained Attention in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Abstract

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders have executive function deficits that can interfere with their academic performance and school adaptation. The use of computerized training programs has proven to be useful to improve executive functions, as well as reading and math performance. We developed a digital game for assessing and improving sustained attention in children aged between 6 and 9 years with neurodevelopmental disorders. The game was developed based on a standardized task called Continuous Performance Test. This study aims to investigate teachers’ acceptability of the game and their perception and feedback in regard to different aspects of the game. Nine teachers from a special school in Romania participated in a focus group and completed the reflection sheets after playing the game. Our results showed that the participants really enjoyed playing the game and considered it appropriate for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Findings provide important contributions to the domains of gamified psychological assessment in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.