Smart Objects and Technologies for Social Good. Third International Conference, GOODTECHS 2017, Pisa, Italy, November 29-30, 2017, Proceedings

Research Article

Exergames in Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Performance Comparison Between Children and Adolescents

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-319-76111-4_10,
        author={Adrian Macias and Karina Caro and Luis Castro and Veronica Sierra and Edgar Ahumada and Iv\^{a}n Encinas},
        title={Exergames in Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Performance Comparison Between Children and Adolescents},
        proceedings={Smart Objects and Technologies for Social Good. Third International Conference, GOODTECHS 2017, Pisa, Italy, November 29-30, 2017, Proceedings},
        proceedings_a={GOODTECHS},
        year={2018},
        month={3},
        keywords={Exergames Kinect Monsters Motor coordination Down Syndrome},
        doi={10.1007/978-3-319-76111-4_10}
    }
    
  • Adrian Macias
    Karina Caro
    Luis Castro
    Veronica Sierra
    Edgar Ahumada
    Iván Encinas
    Year: 2018
    Exergames in Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Performance Comparison Between Children and Adolescents
    GOODTECHS
    Springer
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-76111-4_10
Adrian Macias1,*, Karina Caro2,*, Luis Castro1,*, Veronica Sierra1,*, Edgar Ahumada1,*, Iván Encinas1,*
  • 1: Sonora Institute of Technology (ITSON)
  • 2: Drexel University
*Contact email: adrian.macias@itson.edu.mx, karinacaro@drexel.edu, luis.castro@acm.org, veronica.sierra@itson.edu.mx, eahumadasolorza@gmail.com, ivanencinasm@gmail.com

Abstract

Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) have delays in the development of motor function associated with impairments including difficulty with precise movements of limbs, poor balance, and poor visual-motor coordination. It has been reported that children and adolescents with DS might present differences in terms of visual-motor coordination skills, task persistence, emotional expressions, among others. Exergames have the potential to support motor coordination as they combine physical exercise with gaming technology. However, little has been said about the game experience of individuals with DS playing exergames. This work presents the results of an exploratory study of 10 individuals with DS playing a commercial exergame. Our results show a significant difference between children and adolescents in terms of task-efficacy, selective attention, and prompts. Finally, we discuss our results and the implications for designing exergames to support motor coordination of people with DS.