Gamification Attributes to Enhance Socio-Vocational Readiness Among People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Developmental Disabilities: A Conceptual Paper

People with disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) may experience obstacles in social, communication, vocational, and behavioral skills that limit their participation. Video modeling (VM) entails demonstrating desired behaviors through video simulation. Its effectiveness in encouraging adaptive behaviors in work-related social activities has been demonstrated for ASD and IDD. Gamification is the application of game attributes to nongame situations. Within health care, education, and rehabilitation, gamification has included simulations of real-life events to engage clients and improve function. In this conceptual paper, we examined the link between gamification’s intrinsic attributes and the VM paradigm through examples of our evolving VM studies for individuals with ASD and IDD. The discussed interfaces demonstrate gamification attributes that likely contributed to their usability and effectiveness. This conceptual framework illustrated a new perspective concerning the effectiveness of VM paradigms. We encourage clinicians and technology developers to consider the value of incorporating gamification when designing VM interventions to enhance independence in the daily lives of vulnerable populations. Embracing gamified VM can promote engaging interventions, enhancing skill acquisition across diverse populations.