Endeavor RX, the First Prescription Video Game, Won’t Be the Last
Endeavor RX, the First Prescription Video Game, Won’t Be the Last
By Andy Hirschfeld
July 16, 2020
Summary
Late last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved the marketing for the first prescription video game to treat ADHD in children, a game titled Endeavor RX from Akili Interactive.
Endeavor RX uses a video game interface to activate the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
The game itself will be available by prescription and can be accessed iPads and iPhones, with a target age range of children ages 6-12.
Akili hopes to release the game in the next few months, and it likely won't be the last.
A 2019 study conducted by the University of Oviedo in Spain found that educational video games drastically boosted attention capabilities amongst kids and teens with ADHD. "Games maybe can become an extraordinary way to put in practice different strategies that children can learn in the therapeutic sessions," Débora Areces, Professor of Psychology at the University of Oviedo tells Observer.
While this is the first video game used specifically for therapeutic with direct guidance from the FDA, therapeutic game use for kids with learning disabilities more broadly with a focus primarily on Autism.
The leading game in this space is Zoolingo made by game developer Mafooly.
The game takes users through a set of puzzles that help enhance their "Emotional vocabulary." Zoolingo aims to improve socialization, with games that help children practice eye contact, which children on the spectrum struggle with, as well as puzzles that help refine motor skills.
Stuart Duncan made a safe space for kids with autism through a server on Minecraft which he dubbed "Autcraft." He saw there was an interest in the game from autistic kids in his community but they felt shunned by bullies on the platform, and it now has 87,000 users worldwide.
Duncan speaks from personal experience-he and his son both have autism and have found the game to be therapeutic.
Reference
Hirschfeld, A. (2020, July 16). Inside The World's First Prescription Video Games and The Kids They're Helping. Retrieved July 20, 2020, from https://observer.com/2020/07/endeavor-rx-first-prescription-video-game-therapy-revolution/