A Study on the Intervention Effect of the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Model in Serious Games for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Serious games are increasingly used as supportive tools in interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, many existing game-based interventions are not clearly grounded in established educational or therapeutic models, which may limit their consistency and overall effectiveness, as behavioural science posits that intervention efficacy is closely tied to alignment with evidence-based principles of behavioural shaping and contingent reinforcement. In response, this study introduces the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) model into serious game design and proposes a more structured digital intervention approach that connects game mechanics with intervention theory, a design logic that aligns with behavioural science tenets of scaffolded skill building and incremental goal setting to foster sustainable behavioural change in neurodiverse children. In September 2024, 48 children with mild-to-moderate ASD were recruited from local special education schools. Based on their behavioural characteristics, a series of customised serious games was developed using CPS as the guiding framework. To examine the impact of this model, a 12-week intervention experiment was carried out between March and June 2025. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The findings showed that children in the experimental group improved more than those in the control group in four areas: language communication, social interaction, sensory processing, and health-related behaviours. Improvements in language and social performance were especially noticeable. Observational data also suggested that children in the experimental group became more willing to cooperate and participate as the intervention progressed, while non-engaged behaviours decreased considerably during the later stages. Overall, the results indicate that incorporating structured educational models such as CPS into serious game design may help enhance the stability and effectiveness of digital interventions for children with ASD. This study also provides practical evidence for developing more targeted serious games for this population.