DTkid: interactive simulation software for training tutors of children with autism.

The team built a computer game called DTkid. A cartoon boy named SIMon acts like a real child with autism.

New tutors practiced DTT moves on SIMon. The program scored each click and gave instant feedback.

Across three small RCTs, 90 college students learned DTT with either DTkid or a text packet. A final quiz checked what they remembered.

DTkid users scored 20-30 points higher on DTT tests. They kept the edge one week later.

They also explained why each step matters, not just what to do. The text-only group could not.

Jacobson (1992) already showed that simple computer games help college kids grasp learning principles. Tom et al. moved the same idea into autism tutor training.

Day-Watkins et al. (2018) later used real videos plus BST and got the same result: big fidelity jumps. DTkid proves you don’t need live footage; a cartoon child works too.

Ohan et al. (2015) review ways to squeeze more trials into each session. DTkid gives tutors the skill to run those tighter trials, so the two papers click together like Lego.

You can ship DTkid to new hires tonight. No actor, no camera, no supervisor in the room. One hour with SIMon cuts weeks of shadowing. Try it during your next staff orientation and watch the error rate drop.