Partnerships
Working on education and youth welfare Although our home base is firmly in the Frisian clay, we have built up a large network of international cooperation partners in recent years….
Game on Autism and Work
Autism: Spectrum of Employment Skills
8D Games, in partnership with the international consortium Autism: Spectrum of Employment Skills (ASES), has created a game designed to assist managers in making recruitment processes and workplaces more accessible for individuals with autism. This game actively involves players in engaging with a comprehensive curriculum on autism and employment.
Download ASES via:
The challenge
1
Addressing the complexity of autism. Each person with autism has unique needs and talents; the game must reflect this complexity.
2
Creating realistic scenarios. How can we create realistic and relatable scenarios that encourage managers to more frequently consider the challenges faced by people with autism?
3
Ensuring user-friendliness. The game should be accessible and easy to understand for users with varying levels of technological proficiency.
Autism and employment: why is improvement necessary?
Research conducted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EES) reveals that less than 10% of people with autism in Europe are employed. This low employment rate is often due to recruitment processes that fail to adequately address the specific challenges faced by individuals with autism.
As a result, the talents and skills of this group often go unnoticed, despite their strong problem-solving abilities and focus. The ASES consortium, which includes entrepreneurs, educators, and autism experts from various European countries, has developed a range of educational materials aimed at improving the employment prospects of individuals with autism.
Development process
The complexity of autism and its varied manifestations made the game’s development process challenging. What works for one person with autism may not work for another. Therefore, the game employs a design framework where there is no ‘completely right’ or ‘completely wrong.’ The aim is for managers to gain insight into different approaches for discovering what works in their specific situation and how to communicate this effectively. The team based their work on preliminary research from experts and individuals with lived experience to establish the design frameworks. Various game concepts were then presented to the consortium’s experts, who selected the concept that best aligned with the project’s goals and the target audience’s informational needs. To address the complexity of autism while conveying a large amount of information in an engaging manner, the team chose to use roleplaying mechanics and a textual foundation. The scenarios in the ASES game are carefully crafted and supported by subject matter experts. Partners like Specialisterne ApS (Denmark), the Federação Portuguesa de Autismo (Portugal), and the Latvian Autism Association (Latvia) provided essential knowledge. Business partners such as Dekaplus (Cyprus), Oecon Group (Greece), and the Business Confederation of Macedonia (North Macedonia) contributed insights from the business world. This collaboration ensured that the game’s content is scientifically accurate and adequately considers the daily practices of entrepreneurs and managers.
These were the results
The ASES game assists managers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in creating inclusive workplaces. It complements the ASES VET course, an advanced module designed specifically for SME management. This module trains managers on how to conduct interviews with candidates with autism, establish a supportive working environment, and stimulate the professional development of these employees. The information from the advanced module is seamlessly integrated into the game, promoting active engagement with the theoretical concepts learned. After downloading the ASES app, players can choose to play through five different scenarios. For instance, one scenario involves conducting a job interview with a candidate who has disclosed having autism. As the player navigates the interview, they encounter dilemmas such as: “The candidate appears to be experiencing anxiety about a particular aspect of the job. How do you respond?” The player selects from four different responses by swiping. After completing the scenario, the player receives a score overview along with tips for further study and reflection. This setup encourages discussions about why certain choices may not be wrong but are also not optimal, and how to assess whether the person across from you is being supported by the way you conduct the conversation.
The game on autism and employment is available for free through the ASES Project website or by searching for “ASES Game” in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The ASES project was made possible with support from the EU under the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships program.