I realize any post or subject concerning “special needs” type of discussion is largely a taboo which is a bit of a shame, considering how quickly some support agencies are using games and devices such as the Wii for reaching out to kids with special needs.

My oldest is on the Austism spectrum and every day presents everyone in our household a new challenge. Not only with how to reach out to him, but also how to help him reach out to us. We have discovered that games do help him calm down (somewhat) and get excited about the subject matter in the game which creates passion in him to create a discussion on what’s going on..

One issue though which is making things difficult at times, is the need to make my son comprehend that some items / characters in the game aren’t available until you unlock them. My son loves watching the intro demo movies to games (such as the Hot Shots golf series on the PS2), but then wants to jump into the first course using one of the locked toons.

I’d rather let him enjoy the game and use it to help teach him about the game environment (eg. concepts such as an “audience” or what does a good putt mean? basic game UI mechanics, etc) rather than trying to explain to him that some things are locked until you play the game 300 more times to unlock them.

Does “Farming” need to be introduced into his lexicon at age 5 now? But I digress…

So for now, I have to resort to hunting down the fun games he wants to play along with making sure published “god mode” codes are accessible via the internet to ensure that he can enjoy the content as much as he wants now, instead of promoting unrest and frustration which disrupts the entire harmony of the household.

Obviously I’m not trying to make a point that special needs kids can’t accomplish the same level objectives that are presented to everyone else. I’ve seen kids of all stripes suck ass at some games, while other kids perform at an extreme level. I am merely pointing out that when your child is struggling because of a choice by the developers to force the player into farming the same levels to achieve enough points to open up what they want to start with…well I’m curious to know if he considers it a form of torture.