‘I can actually do it without any help or someone watching over me all the time and giving me constant instruction’: Autistic adolescent boys' perspectives on engagement in online video gaming

Pavlopoulou, G.; Usher, C.; Pearson, A.

Abstract

Research into autistic adolescents' engagement in online gaming has so far focused on time spent gaming, or characterizing problematic gaming behaviour and has relied mostly on caregiver report. In the current study, we interviewed 12 autistic adolescent boys, asking about their perspectives on their engagement in online gaming, and their motivations. We analysed the interview data using thematic analysis and identified three key themes in the data, which focused on agency and a sense of belonging, emotion regulation, and acknowledgement of the differing perceptions that the young people and their caregivers had of gaming. Our findings show the need to include the viewpoints of autistic young people in research about their interests and well-being, and provide insights that can help caregivers and professionals to support autistic young people in flourishing.

Citation

Pavlopoulou, G., Usher, C., & Pearson, A. (2022). ‘I can actually do it without any help or someone watching over me all the time and giving me constant instruction’: Autistic adolescent boys' perspectives on engagement in online video gaming. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 40(4), 557-571. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12424

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 14, 2022
• Online Publication Date: May 28, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2024
• Journal: British Journal of Developmental Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0261-510X
• Electronic ISSN: 2044-835X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 557-571
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12424
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2436645