New research finds board games help relieve social anxiety because of the set structure to those games. For those with autism, the games provide both stimulation and comfort and a sense of achievement and predictability.
00:00New research finds there may be a connection between autism and a love of board games.
00:05At the University of Plymouth in the UK, a survey of nearly 2,000 board game hobbyists found 7% of those respondents had autism spectrum disorder,
00:147% higher than the 1% average of the general population.
00:18Interviewing those surveyed, researchers found board games help relieve social anxiety because of the set structure to those games.
00:25Website Science Alert reports the games provide both stimulation and comfort, and a sense of achievement and predictability.
00:33Played include clue-giving games Codenames and Dixit, and social deception games One Night Ultimate Werewolf and Spyfall.
00:41The researchers found, quote, board games may represent an area of both challenge and strength for autistic individuals.
00:48Those strengths include building independence and confidence, while helping forge social relationships.
00:53The next step will be to support adapting other games to make them more accessible and enjoyable for people with autism.
