PC or Wii game recommendations for 7 year old with autism?

March 26, 2008

We have a 6 year old (actually just turned 7) boy with autism. He has a

twin - also a boy - who is typical. We just got the Wii for our home

which I hoped both could use, but as it turns out, the Wii controller

(with its 10+ buttons and its fragility if banged reapeatedly on the

floor) the need to read game rules and written cues onscreen, and the

hand/eye coordination required of most E rated Wii kids games - has put

the games that his twin likes to play mostly out of reach of our boy on

the spectrum. He loves to watch and wants badly to participate. He

goes right up to the HD screen during Wii Sports bowling, baseball, and

tennis, much to the chagrin of his brother, who can't see the screen to

swing half the time ;-).

My question is, does anyone have any recommendations for a kid on the

spectrum for either educational or entertainment oriented games, for the

Wii, or the Mac, or the PC? He is mouse capable, but has trouble using

a full keyboard. The one game he has been addicted to for 3 years now

is Berchet Media's Baby Keyboard, Nax and Oyo. It's a 3 CD set with

about 5 games per CD, written in Flash and written for a 5 button

keyboard and mouse and fits over a standard 101 key PC keyboard. But he

is outgrowing this and I'm desperately looking for the next thing.

Any opinions?

March 27, 2008

I would try the hand-held color Pixter available at Target. You can get game

modules for it and it has several games, paint programs, etc. built in. It

has a touch- screen with stylus (or fingernail) and is quite durable. Also,

it's often out for buyers to try a sample game on the shelf. It's about $30

- $40.

Darla

**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL

Home.

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