Effects of Computerized Cognitive Training in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Wang et al. (2025) looked at 15 studies of computerized brain games for kids and teens with autism. They pulled together 763 children who used laptops or tablets to practice skills like paying attention, planning, and reading faces. The team asked: do these games really help thinking and social skills right after training?

Kids who played the games scored higher on tests of social smarts, flexible thinking, and staying focused. The gains were medium to large, meaning teachers and parents could see the change. Still, only a few studies checked if the skills stuck around weeks later.

Hong et al. (2017) already showed tablet apps like video modeling help kids with autism. Yaoyu’s 2025 review widens the lens: it says any well-designed brain game on a tablet or laptop can work, not just videos.

Tassé et al. (2013) and Harrell et al. (2013) ran smaller trials with Down syndrome and 22q11DS students. They also saw quick gains after similar games, giving confidence that the method travels across diagnoses.

Pickard et al. (2019) found small social boosts from group sports, but no speech gains. Yaoyu’s CCT review finds social cognition jumps without leaving the computer desk. The two results sit side-by-side: move the body or train the brain—both can help social life, just through different doors.

If you run social-skills groups, adding a 15-minute CCT warm-up on a tablet could sharpen attention before peer practice. Pick programs that target face-reading or planning, set mastery levels, and track daily scores. Because long-term data are thin, schedule brief re-tests each month to see if the skills stay solid.