New game set to help autistic kids

AN iPad application created by Edinburgh University is the first ever to help autistic children.

Researchers helped make the FindMe game, where children with autism locate an onscreen character in a range of different scenarios.

It will be aimed at those as young as 18 months in a bid to help boost socialising skills.

The research was funded by the Nuffield Foundation and carried out in the university’s education and informatics department. Experts said the game forced users to focus on their individual needs.

Dr Sue Fletcher-Watson, the Nuffield Foundation new career development fellow, said: “Thanks to the iPad’s touchscreen we can now create games for very young children with autism, when it may benefit them most.”