Down Syndrome Question – Help?
Posted on February 20th, 2008 by
For Ask GamerDad at WhatTheyPlay.com I got a good question from the mother of a lad with Down’s Syndrome. She asks what kind of games – nothing where you kill people or people die – he can handle and gives Animal Crossing as an example of something he can’t handle. Can any reader direct me to the best organization where I can find an expert, or have any experience with this? I want to help her out. Please post below or Email Me privately.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I’ll ask my wife, as she’s directly involved with people with various disabilities, some of them with Down’s. It’s a slightly different perspective as she works with adults (though some are still teenagers).
The thing is though, I don’t think there’s any one answer, what’s appropriate for one person is not the right thing for another.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Right and that’ll be the first part of my answer.
I just want to help her find games he can play. I have until next Wed, can you ask her to ask them or their guardian/parents what games they like? I figure I can’t go wrong if I use recommendations direct from these people.
Oh, also mentioned, reading is a problem but light reading is okay.
I’m going to email her right now to be sure I know what platform she means.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Great question. I wish I had some titles to suggest. The age of this boy would help. The fact that he may be able to handle light reading is pretty good indicator that he is at a high functional level. As a general guide choose titles that are roughly half the age level of a normal child. Down syndrome children can have a wide range of abilities (if it proves too low or too high adjust from there). They are very often quite musical and they will enjoy programs with a strong beat in their score. Anything with very broad simple controls and straight forward graphics (read infrequent scene changes with recognizable characters). My son is five and can manage a programs where he presses a special button while his EA is moves the mouse cursor (cursors should be bigger ideally). This game is custom that includes characters from shows he likes and pictures of family members. It also integrates with a custom tablet that lets him match letters and colors. He loves the program. I’ll be moving him onto Sesame Street Baby and Me soon. A good introduction to mouse movement and mouse clicking. My son is also considered high function for his age but I’ll probably write some custom software for him. But if someone on this forum can suggest programs that fit some of these characteristics I may not have to. I suggest having someone modify your mouse by cutting the wire to the second mouse button and gluing the two buttons together to simplify things (or find a one button mouse)(PC assumption here).
For anybody who doesn’t know someone with Down syndrome I highly recommend changing that if you get the opportunity. They are the only people I know with the right attitude. Cheers T
February 20th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Asking what is a good game for a person with Downs is like asking what is a good game for a person with red hair. Having Downs doesn’t make a person more or less likely to enjoy one thing or another; additionally, intellectual abilities vary widely among people with Downs. I would ask what the child likes to do, and select a game that way – having Downs isn’t relevant to the question.
I think the most important questions to ask are what his physical capabilities are – how are his fine motor skills at this point – and what he likes. Colors? Music? Cartoon characters? Again, though, people with Downs are every bit as individual as everyone else, so it really depends on the child’s tastes and needs.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Oh – to answer Andrew’s question, the folks with Downs that I know are big fans of first-person shooters. That probably doesn’t help, huh! 😀
February 21st, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Maybe something like LocoRoco? I don’t mean just because it’s “kiddie”, with upbeat music and bright colors, but also because it’s got a pretty simple control scheme (two buttons).
February 21st, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Hi-
I agree, people with Ds are individuals, and have different likes and dislikes. My son, who is 9 and has Ds, loves to play Mario Cart Double Dash, Smash Bros Brawl, Ben Ten games, and Super Mario Sunshine (I am getting this information from his 12 yr old brother)
He can use a mouse and the arrow keys. He can also use a joystick, and Wii controllers.(he loves Wii golf and bowling)
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 am
Great!
I heard back. This boy has a DS and PS2. The response to this has been overwhelming so far. Thank you all so much!
I’m thinking of recommending:
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 am
Oops!
PS2: Katamari Damacy, sports games, arcade compilations – I wish I could recommend Taiko Drum Master but I hear it’s pretty rare nowadays (shame).
DS: WarioWare, Elite Beat Agents (or the easier HighSchool Musical branded clone), New Super Mario Bros.,
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
My copy of Taiko Drum Master has been sitting unused for months (someone was going to buy it, never did) so if your questioner thinks it will be suitable, let me know and I’ll send it along.