The new technology connects groups of neurodrive children

A new technology in the form of a bracelet that helps children better understand how others play and interact with researchers from the University of Bristol.

Research is published in the newspaper Proceedings of the CHI 2025 conference on human factors in IT systems.

THE braceletwhich includes colorful buttons to activate a light color meaning play mode or activity of the childrenis selected by the carrier. The children who participated in the search were able to use the bracelet to display the others if they played together (green), playing alone (blue) or wanted to play with the others (yellow).

The study, presented at the ACM chi conference on human factors in computer systems In Yokohama, underlines the importance that children can display and understand everyone’s intentions and ideas during the game in order to facilitate more inclusive game experiences. The study was specifically interested in allowing neurodivergent and neurotypical children to connect with each other and play together.

Current technologies designed to allow or support social game often focus on the intervention or correcting of the behavior of autistic children towards a more neurotypic game activity.

Research is led by Dr. Osama Metatla, from the IT school, and Dr. Alison Oldfield, from the School of Education. Dr. Metatla directs the diversified interaction laboratory within the Bristol interaction group, which is looking for inclusive interactive technologies by centering the experiences of disabled and unabled people.

The main author, Brooke Morris, explained: “Previous research has shown that autistic and non-Aboriginal children can interact and play in different ways, which can cause difficulties during social game because of a lack of understanding of each other. We know a lot about the social game of neurotypical children but not much on the social game of autistic children or between neurodrive groups.

“We wanted to know – how can we design and develop game technologies that support the different ways that children play and interact and help children understand each other?”

The participating children were invited to make different gadgets which would help them play and interact together, which were then designed by the research team. The children were also able to change the direction of colors on the bracelets as they please. Some have changed the colors to signify “happy” or “sad” to share their emotions during the game.

Now, the team plans to look more deeply at the own ideas of autistic and non -authest children about what the game and interaction with others looks like and what they find about it. By examining in more detail the obstacles to play together, the team can examine a study of subsequent co-design exploring which technologies or practices could support groups of social gaming neurodivers for children, making play technologies more inclusive.

Morris added: “We must recognize that there is no good way to play and that there are divergent ways to play and interact with others.”