“Keeper” (Soul Keeper, Heart Keeper, Heart and Soul: Still defining the best title). This game is designed for intervention and practice of Theory of Mind related skills in older children (9+) and teens with Asperger Syndrome and “High Functioning” Autism. Theory of Mind includes the skills: understanding personal feelings and the feelings of others, “False Belief” understanding, perspective-taking, etc.
Serious Goals:
To improve facial expression recognition (aka mind reading skills) and body language recognition necessary for social competence in 9-15 year olds with AS and other ASDs.
Story:
The child/teen plays a new guardian angel. This angel (also a teen) does not understand human emotions and the human heart yet. In order to learn be a good guardian angel and grow large, beautiful wings, they must learn to interpret the emotions of the human in their charge, keeping them happy and safe.
Basic Ideas for the Game:
The angel can be personalized through an avatar system (I like the way Finding Zoe’s is laid out).
The person you protect can also be personalized, and it is encouraged that a parent, sibling, or caregiver for the child/teen designs this second avatar.
The angel is responsible for another character’s wellness and emotional happiness.
-You watch their face for cues as to their emotional state, as well as reactions to the environment. (An angel doesn’t need to feel fear or sadness because they can’t get hurt)
-You watch for things the person likes, doesn’t like, danger, etc.
The primary challenge in the game is facing Shadows.
-You watch the person’s emotions to decide whether a Shadow is dangerous or not.
-If they are dangerous, you make them disappear.
-If they are not dangerous and you make them disappear, then your charge gets upset and loses Happiness points.
-Shadows evolve through the game levels. Eventually, you will also see their features and have to read their faces as well as your charge to decide whether to make them disappear.
As the player progresses through levels they gain stronger wings. (and more beautiful wings).
- This is a reward.
-It also increases challenge. When exploring you can fly farther from your charge. This makes the facial expressions harder to read. It also adds reading body language.
The game can be scaffolded by beginning the game uses other elements to signal emotion and having these slowly fade out (ie, music, captions).
This game should be able to be saved. When the player returns to the game, it reverts to the previous level in a mini-form. This way, they can repractice skills they have already succeeded at before returning to the main game. (This is standard practice in autism intervention.)
The angel has access to an Expression Codex to refer to in game play. They can draw the face they see on their charge, and it will reference similar faces so they can find out what emotion they are displaying. Ideally, this Codex would also be available for download to a home computer or mobile device, allowing the individual to use the Codex as a tool for socializing in everyday life. (Think about “Lie to Me” in its first season when it would show famous figures with the same emotional expressions).
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