Video Games May Be Able To Help Children Who Have Sensory and Attention Problems

Great news for video game enthusiasts! A study conducted at the University of California in San Francisco has discovered that video games may be able to help children who have sensory and attention problems.

That is, that the games can actually cause an improvement in their attention span. Apparently, video games are able to make the process of seeing and hearing much easier for them.

The study took 38 children with sensory processing dysfunction – as well as hypersensitivity to sounds, sights, and touch – and 25 typical kids of the same age. During a period of four weeks, the team studied the children while they played specially designed video games with the aim of helping their sensory problems.

At the end of the study, it was discovered that there was a definite improvement in at least 20 of the kids who had taken part and who had sensory problems.

 “Children with sensory processing dysfunction have differences in the way their brains are wired,” said Dr. Elysa Marco, the senior study author.

“We think that there are differences in not only the wiring for sensory modulation but also for what we call cognitive control which includes the ability to sustain attention even in the face of distraction.”