Video Games for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Miller et al. (2022) looked at 24 studies that used video games to help kids with autism.

They wanted to know if playing these games could lower autism symptoms.

The studies used many kinds of games, from simple tablet apps to active exergames.

Across all studies, the games gave small but steady drops in autism symptoms.

Kids and parents liked the games and kept using them.

The gains were not huge, but they showed up again and again.

Gao et al. (2026) later ran a bigger meta-analysis and found medium, not small, gains in executive skills and motor skills. Their newer data supersedes the 2022 small-effect picture.

Sosnowski et al. (2022) tested one ABA-plus-gaze game in a real RCT and saw medium jumps in emotion recognition. This extends Laura’s review by showing one game can pack more punch when it locks onto a clear skill.

Wan et al. (2023) blended interactive games with behavioral skills training in preschool classrooms and got large social gains. This extends the idea that games plus live coaching can beat games alone.

You can keep using video games as a fun, low-cost add-on, but don’t expect big symptom drops from off-the-shelf titles. Pick games that target one skill, track progress, and pair them with live teaching. Try the gaze-contingent or BST combos next session to push gains from small to medium.