20 Best Social Games for Children With Autism, Aspergers, ADHD

Teaching social skills through games can be a fun way to relate to your student or relative with autism and impart important emotional skills.  Be sure that you adjust the rules of the games to fit with your child’s needs and current skill level.

1. Ryuu – This game is inspired by the hit children’s games of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh with its popular, collectible cards.  Each of the “creatures” on the cards is related to a specific social skill and describes that skill.
2. Traditional Board Games – This is general, but board games are a great way to work social skills with your student.  It’s important to stress how one should react when you are winning or losing.  Just like with other young children, it’s important to emphasize not to be a bad sport.  For example, following directions teaches many social skills.
3. Social Stories – Reading and interacting with your child through social stories is a great way to enjoy time with your relative or student with autism and impart important social skills.
4. See Blocks – These see-through blocks are a great tool for working on building eye contact with your child with autism.
5. Emotions Board – This is a toy that helps children with autism recognize emotional face expressions on felt photographs.  This is both a textile and social experience.  This is just one of many games that are made for children with autism to help them recognize and understand their emotions and the emotions of others.
6. Red Light – Green Light – This classic game teaches following the rules and playing a somewhat-competitive game.  Once again, set up what your child needs to do when they encounter different situations.
7. Simon Says – This also teaches following directions and paying attention to the speaker.  It also requires your child to watch the leader, which is an important social skill.
8. Guess Who? – This is a great board game for children with autism to help them describe and recognize different faces.
9. Second Life – This online game allows users to play a character and interact with the other characters in the online world.  There is a special “location” in the game for people with autism (primarily Asperger’s).  The special thing about Second Life is that the characters you create live, interact, and work in the world and so can teach people with autism important social skills in the virtual world that they can then bring to their real life.
10. Autismgames.com – This website contains tons of online games that address specific social issues students with autism experience, such as dealing with change and making eye contact.
11. Berenstain Bears Learn to Share Game – This game features the world-famous Berenstain Bears and also teaches an important skill for a child with autism, sharing.
12. 6 Social Skills Game Set from National Autism Resources – These board games come as a set and are specifically geared toward teaching social skills to children with autism.
13. Playtime with Zeebu from National Autism Resources – This is a DVD and puppets combo that teach social skills that parents can reinforce with fun puppets!
14. The Blunders Game from National Autism Resources – This game teaches children with autism about social skills and manners through a group of kids called the “blunders” who are always making mistakes.  Autistic children can win the game by recognizing the mistakes the blunder kids make.
15. Charades or Guesstures – Teaching autistic students to use gestures and expressive body language is a great skill to encourage which makes these classic games excellent tools.
16. Create a Face Pad – This is a large pad with a blank face on each page that students can draw on and create emotions!
17. Social Skills for Small Groups Play Pack from National Autism Resources – This is a deck of cards with 15 different social skills games for your child to use!  It is played in a group, which will automatically create a greater social experience.
18. Guess How I Feel Game from National Autism Resources – Using drawing and role-playing, children playing the game can work on recognizing and expressing emotions.
19. Manhattan Toy Dress Up – This is a special doll (that can come as a boy or girl!) that teaches dressing on your own and all the different parts of an outfit!
20. Nintendo Wii Sports – This game comes standard on a Wii and is a great activity for a child with autism and can be played as a group.

Related concerns:
1). Toys For Children With Autism
2). Activities For Children With Autism