How Neurodivergent People Are Learning Soft Skills From Gaming
Online gaming has become a popular pastime for many people, especially in the last twenty to thirty years. While there are negative aspects to playing video games too frequently, there are also unexpected benefits.
This is especially true for gamers who happen to be neurodivergent. Sometimes it can seem difficult for a neurodivergent person to fit in in society, particularly in the workplace. In many cases, they may not have the social skills, communication skills, emotional intelligence, or other soft skills needed to be a successful employee. Fortunately, though, gaming can actually be very beneficial when it comes to learning these soft skills.
Defining Neurodivergent
Before we explore how gaming can be beneficial for neurodivergent people, we need to properly define what it means to be neurodivergent. While neurodiversity is typically associated with autism, the neurodiverse spectrum also includes dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Development Coordination Disorder, and more. Neural differences can make people act, talk, sound, or behave in ways that diverge from neurotypical people. Unfortunately, this means neurodivergent individuals are often misunderstood or mistreated.
The term “neurodivergent” covers multiple diagnoses with a wide range of neurological differences. Therefore, there are different soft skills that gaming may be able to help neurodivergent people with.
How Gaming Can Be Helpful to Neurodivergent People
There are many ways that gaming can benefit those who are neurodivergent such as:
- It can help them develop better mental health – While gaming can be a controversial hobby, in moderation, there are many ways that it can help. If we take a look at gaming and mental health implications, we can see that gaming can be quite an effective stress relief tool, and it can boost social skills.
- It can prepare them for the workforce – By helping neurodivergent gamers to develop leadership skills, emotional intelligence skills, communication skills, and other soft skills that are versatile in the workforce, gaming can prepare those who are neurodivergent to become valuable employees in the workplace. It can also present them with possibilities like a career in game streaming.
- It can help them to improve problem-solving skills – Strategic video games, puzzle games, and games that encourage continuous learning can actually help neurodivergent gamers to develop and improve problem-solving skills. They can also speed up the time it takes to make decisions and increase spatial skills.
Other Ways Gaming Can Contribute to Health
Gaming may encourage a person who is neurodivergent to create a space just for them, which could be a form of self-care. Building an ultimate gaming setup with mental and physical wellness in mind may encourage the space to be used for other self-care activities such as journaling or meditation.
Being or living with someone who is neurodivergent may mean thinking outside of the box when it comes to developing soft skills, and that may mean unconventional activities like gaming. The important thing is to find whatever works best for you or the neurodivergent loved one in your life.
