lulubelle Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 We decided to get our kids the Wii video game. We were a bit hesitant because our 8 year old is intense and has strong Asperger/ADHD tendencies. But, we figured he would really enjoy it and have some fun. Well, it came today. My ds was beside himself with frustration, anger, screaming, and just plain old emotionally out of control. It was worse than what we could have imagined. He didn't seem to realize that he was in control of the character and was screaming and blaming his brother and the game itself, that he or it was doing it to him. So, can he learn to calm himself, learn the game better, or will he always have this explosive problem? Anyone out there have a similar child? Was this a bad decision? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 It's not a bad decision, but you'll have to pick and choose the games carefully, especially if he has motor skills issues like my boy does. My son is the same way and gets SO angry when he can't beat something or someone. He hates playing against others because he never wins, and then he gets even more angry. It drives everyone nuts. What I have had to do is find some games that he can do and teach him slowly. Yeah, there are times when he wants to go into complete revolt and play the games he is just flat not capable of doing, but with gentle reminders of 'working up to it,' he *usually* comes back to reality and the games he loves. Usually. I imagine your son would be quite good at boxing if he has that much frustration. Do the training sessions where there is no winning or losing. Remind him that it will get more difficult as he progresses but that you can always reset it if he gets too frustrated. If you have wireless internet in your house and are willing to spend a few bucks, you can download old-school games like the original Mario Bros. games from the '80s. My DS will spend ages playing the first few levels over and over because he *knows* he can beat them. Again, once in a while he ventures into another level, but I remind him that any fits indicate that he is ready to have a break. Obviously I still have to closely monitor game time because he will get so immersed in the system that he won't even realize that he's not in the real world any more and will lose it over the smallest thing, but we've made a lot of headway. He still can't stomach losing a game to his little sister, but he's doing a lot better now. Good luck and I hope you have a lot of fun with your new Wii! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 I'm still working on this with my intense kiddo. I have times where I play against him to help him practice good sportsmanship. He knows ahead of time that I will win so it isn't so much of a let down when he loses. We are also practicing playing a board game most every weekday so he can practice being a good sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 My Aspie is 14yo but she has to carefully choose what games to play on the Wii. Things that would be fine for my other kids will make her explode. So far she has enjoyed Animal Crossing, Super Paper Mario (although that had frustrating moments for her), and Zelda (also had some frustrating moments). She has enjoyed some games on the Gamecube (just have to buy a memory card and a controller to play Gamecube games on the Wii). She does much better with Gamecube than Wii. I know she plays a Pokemon game or two on the Gamecube. I'm not sure what else. She recently bought a used PS2 on ebay so she could play Kingdom Hearts. She has thoroughly enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 I agree with carefully choosing the games. Would the sports ones work better for him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted July 29, 2010 Share Posted July 29, 2010 For my kiddos with SPD who have trouble with the Wii, our OT has mentioned that many games on the Wii (or any other gaming system, for that matter!) are "alerting" or stimulating but do not provide enough proprioceptive input for a sensory-seeking or ADHD kiddo to compensate. So, you end up with a kid on hyper-alert from battling droids in Star Wars who hasn't had a physical outlet for his excitement...and Mom and Dad end up paying for it! :glare: She recommended that we put up all games that were not as physical in nature (ie, Star Wars, etc.) and keep the Wii Sports-type games that involve good movement, coordination practice, etc. For my kids, who need massive doses of proprioceptive input to function, she actually recommended that I only allow them to play while standing on a stool and leaning one hand against the wall while playing with the other hand. Haven't tried that one yet :confused:, but we have taken up all the offending games and found that the problems have all but disappeared. Sports games seem to be the ticket! HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Some of the Wii games make my Aspies explode and attack each other.. Not pretty. It goes off instantly when that happens. Our therapist was working on this issue for a while, but then we stopped going over the summer. :tongue_smilie: They do need to learn how to play a game together though and hold it together without attacking each other.. So it's a good thing to have.. Watch out for obsessions/addictions though.. :glare: That's not pretty either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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