{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,10]],"date-time":"2026-11-10T01:24:10Z","timestamp":1794273850862,"version":"4.9.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,19]],"date-time":"2024-10-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1729296000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) underscores its significant impact on individuals and the importance of early intervention. ASD affects various aspects of life, including education, emotional development, and social interactions. Besides traditional therapeutic approaches, a novel strategy incorporating digital games has been introduced. Four games developed using Makey Makey and Scratch aim to enhance cognitive skills in children with ASD. This approach facilitates emotional and intellectual development, tracks progress, and offers personalized and engaging interventions. This study demonstrated significant improvements in memory and concentration among participants, with an average improvement of 23.38 points. The most notable enhancements were observed in children aged 10, who showed an average improvement of 25.67 points. Additionally, female participants exhibited a slightly higher average improvement compared to males. The Memory Maze game also effectively enhanced cognitive skills in children with different types of ADHD. Children with the Hyperactive\u2013Impulsive type showed the highest average improvement, with 25.00 points, followed by those with the Combined type, with 24.15 points, and the Inattentive type, with 23.53 points. These findings highlight the potential use of these tools in both ASD and ADHD therapy, providing a structured and enjoyable learning environment that supports cognitive development and therapeutic outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s24206720","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,21]],"date-time":"2024-10-21T10:49:22Z","timestamp":1729507762000},"page":"6720","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["The Power of Play: Strategies for Enhancing Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8176-0113","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Felix-Constantin","family":"Adochiei","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Electrical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Emil Palade Center of Excellence for Young Researchers, Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5033-0154","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simona-Narcisa","family":"Arghir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Electrical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9155-2593","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana Raluca","family":"Adochiei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Emil Palade Center of Excellence for Young Researchers, Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Aircraft and Military Vehicles, Military Technical Academy, Ferdinand I\u201d, 050141 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0606-6273","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florin Ciprian","family":"Argatu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Electrical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7009-2615","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"George Calin","family":"Seritan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Electrical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0711-6570","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bogdan","family":"Alexandrescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"American Psychiatric Association (2013). 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