HospitalRenPyGame

TK online training game Healthy teeth to reinforce the child’s understanding of the rules of oral hygiene

1. Game theme: Oral care rules.

2. Subject of the game – Consolidating the ideas of a child with autism and other behavioral and developmental characteristics about the rules of oral care.

3. The result of using the simulator game:

• consolidation of the basic rules of oral care, their frequency and consistency. Indicators of a child’s achievement of results are an unmistakable choice of at least 80% of the correct actions in game situations.

4. What can enhance the effectiveness of using an online game?

• consolidate the child’s ideas about the rules of oral care with the help of an online game after preliminary acquaintance with the use of an educational video, social stories;
• maintain consistency and staged procedures in all training materials;
• use a single recognizable style of visual and auditory design for all adaptation tools (animated films, social stories, training games): similar colors, external similarities of characters and animation, sound effects in the game and video;
• reinforcement of correct choices of actions and behavior patterns with additional positive incentives (emoticon, sound of applause or approval “Well done!”, “Super!”), etc.

5. What stimulates active use of the game?

• a high probability of successful choices and receiving approval, given that the game is offered at the final stage of preparation, the child is already familiar with the basic rules of dental care and their sequence.

6. What barriers may arise in the process of using the training game? Who will resist using it?

• some children may have unpleasant visual and auditory effects (for example, fear of a certain color - white, green, red, blue), others may have a negative perception of a certain sound or smiley;
• negative past experiences of brushing teeth or visiting the dentist can become an obstacle to mastering the skill of going to the doctor, including through games;
• parents may be against using the game, using a phone or tablet.

7. What should the game do directly, where should it place the attention of the participants, what should it teach and what should it train?

• attention should be focused on the child’s specific action during each stage of the game, with additional visual support for choosing the correct answer about dental care. For example, a question about daily brushing of teeth in the morning, the previous actions (waking up, washing, breakfast, and only then brushing your teeth) should be sequentially illustrated, while in the wrong version, the last two stages are swapped. The game should teach the choice of the correct/expected action in response to a specific situation, train the child’s ability to correct himself, and change his choice if it is wrong.

8. What should players do in the game? How to behave? What to research, check, collect?

• move consistently from action to action, choosing the desired, expected response to the proposed situation, collecting incentives, increasing your rating.

9. What should change in the behavior of the participants during the game? What is the desired effect, outcome, and value they will receive upon exiting the game?

• the child is confident in choosing the right option for each action in the process of caring for the oral cavity, he knows what his reaction is expected and desired, what they want from him;
• the child receives approval during the game, with a high degree of probability he will feel successful, thereby creating and consolidating a positive perception of the event itself, the expectation of approval and success during actual brushing of teeth, going to the doctor for an examination;
• during the game, the child will train the ability to correct his behavior, reaction and will be able to transfer this ability to a real social situation, will be able to more easily perceive his wrong choice/reaction, knowing that he has the power to change his behavior or reaction.

10. Process of using the game (where and how)? What feelings would you like to evoke in players?

• the game will be used by children with autism and other disabilities with the help and participation of parents, at the final stage of preparation, after becoming familiar with all the rules and chains of actions for oral care. The parent, following the link, gets to the main screen of the game, explains the rules and some actions if they suddenly cause difficulties. You can stop at any stage, additionally talking through the situation and options for the child’s reactions, at least when getting acquainted with the game.
• after mastering the rules and principles of game actions, the degree of parental participation is reduced and consists of a willingness to provide their child with help and additional stimulation for making the right choices (“well done,” “you’re doing great,” “you have a lot of awards”);
• subsequently, the child can independently perform game actions after the parent starts the game.