“Caught in a PICL”: Proposal of a Game to Support Language Therapy for Pre-school Children
摘要
This paper presents the concept of a digital game designed to support language therapy for pre-school children (ages 3–6) with language disorders, which affect language acquisition and lead to communication difficulties. The game is based on the Language Intervention Programme (PICL), a scientifically validated tool used by speech and language therapists (SLTs) in Portugal to address difficulties in semantics and morphosyntax. Designed and developed in close collaboration with SLTs, the project adopts an iterative design approach to ensure the game aligns with the therapeutic objectives. The game adapts the semantics activities from PICL to engage children in exercising their language skills. This approach can contribute to an increase in children’s motivation during therapy sessions and provide opportunities for at-home practice, which are crucial for improvement. The paper outlines the design process, insights from SLTs, and the potential of game-based interventions to complement traditional therapy. This ongoing work aims to study the potential of a programme-based game to support language therapy in the area of semantics, and the receptivity of this approach by therapists and patients.