Mapping the Landscape of Educational and Therapeutic Applications Through Serious Games to Promote Social and Emotional Competence in Adolescents with Autism: a Scoping Review

Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may experience significant emotional and social difficulties. Among new technologies, Serious Games (SGs) emerged as valuable educational and rehabilitative resources to promote emotional competence. To evaluate the effectiveness of SGs in promoting emotional and social skills in adolescents with ASD. A scoping review on the use of SGs in adolescents with ASD was carried out. A literature overview on the empirical studies along last decade was conducted. Nine studies were reviewed and critically discussed. SGs were affordable and effective means to promote emotional and social skills in adolescents with ASD. Future research should investigate the mechanisms and the processes that facilitate the transfer of skills learned in SGs intervention, to combine SGs with other methodologies and technologies and to recruit larger sample of participants.