How to Introduce Your Child to Autism in Minecraft
It’s hard to say exactly why kids with autism are some of the greatest adherents of Minecraft, a computer game in which you build endless worlds out of Lego-like blocks. Stuart Duncan, a father of two, believes that this is the perfect union of two opposites. On the one hand, Minecraft offers structure – everything from water to doors to falling lava behaves with a certain predictability that they need. On the other hand, it gives the player endless freedom. There is no storyline, no levels, no bosses giving the participants tasks to complete. Behind their computer screen, players can do whatever they want in an easy-to-read space – recreate the Taj Mahal, light up the house with torches, or hide in a cave.
“The freedom to do whatever you want while feeling secure within a structured set of rules and procedures is liberating,” says Duncan.
Duncan has autism, just like his eldest son. About six years ago, the family started playing Minecraft, and she really liked it. But there were problems. On social media, Duncan constantly saw parents reaching out to other parents asking if their children with autism could play the game together because they continued to face bullies and trolls whenever they played on public servers. Players destroyed whatever they tried to create, steal their resources and kill them over and over again. It was then that Duncan, a web developer from Canada, decided to create a Minecraft world just for children with autism and their families. He bought a starter server for $ 2.50 and called it Autcraft . The game is so popular today that Duncan is the full-time director and gave a TED Talk .
What makes Autcraft unique is that it is whitelisted – you must apply to play . The server is being closely monitored by volunteers with an understanding of autism. They know how to defuse arguments, solve problems, and notice bullying. Before choosing admins, Duncan oversees their game. “I can teach anyone how to play Minecraft and learn commands to control the server, but what I cannot teach is how to handle someone else’s child when he is angry, hurt, depressed and suicidal, and that’s it. it is at the same time. , “he says. Autcraft has its own ranking system. You earn titles by being helpful, kind and respectful to everyone on the server.
In the game, Duncan created “rest rooms” modeled on the Snoezelen multisensory rooms to reduce anxiety. Some are bright with flashing lights, while others are very dark with tiny star-shaped white dots. Players can choose what type of sensory information they need at the moment. “In-game chat is disabled, so there is nothing to read and no one to bother with,” says Duncan. “You can stay in the game, but at the same time take a break.”
Several parents told Duncan that Outcraft was able to do something that years of therapy had failed. It helped their children express their needs, ask for help, and acknowledge that their actions affect others. Even non-verbal people can chat. Autcraft’s environment gives them the ability to make friends, all without the need to track facial expressions or distractions in unfamiliar surroundings. Duncan hopes the kids will learn and grow in Autcraft so that one day they can go out and play on public servers without fear – and around the world.
Here are some tips from Duncan (aka AutismFather in the Autcraft community) on how to introduce an autistic child to Minecraft, and especially Autcraft:
Play with your child
“It’s an incredible social experience,” Duncan says of playing Autcraft with your child. “I know video games or technology may seem foreign to parents, but honestly, it’s not that bad. The opportunity to build a whole world with your child is an experience that you simply cannot get anywhere else. You will laugh, be creative together, work as a team, and dream together. There is nothing like that. “
He encourages parents to see what their children see and talk to the people they are talking to. “Quite often, I find that parents who are not actively involved in their child’s online life have no idea what their child is really like online. Duncan says. “Some kids come to my server and behave in much the same way as bullies have treated them in other places. I will contact their parents and explain what they are doing and what language they speak – and the parents will be completely shocked almost every time. Their child will always say “please” and “thank you” in real life, never swear and, as a rule, just be shy, but once they find themselves on the Internet, unattended, they become trolls, which they usually try to avoid. ” He often reminds parents that if you are not teaching your child how to behave on the Internet, someone else will.
Let your child become a teacher
For parents new to Minecraft, Duncan suggests letting your child be your guide. “It makes the child feel important, confident, in control and helpful,” says Duncan. “Role reversal really allows both the child and the parent to see things from each other’s point of view.”
Continue conversation offline
In Autcraft, players learn to speak, plan and deal with others, which can be difficult when you’re not used to any kind of relationship.
Duncan advises parents to keep an eye on new behavior at home. “In most cases, these ‘little’ conversations on the server may seem insignificant, but later I will hear from parents who tell me that their children started sharing things and even giving them out to other children, or that they started making friends at school, or that someone broke something and they didn’t even get angry, ”Duncan says. Reward good behavior and talk about bad behavior. Encourage what you want to see.
Take breaks
If your child gets upset online, ask him to take a break or enter one of the quiet rooms. Remind them that whatever someone says online is never personal. “How can it be?” Duncan says. “They don’t even know you. This is an important lesson to learn. “
Duncan’s main advice to parents is not to shy away from the game because they don’t understand it. Sure, Autcraft is a fantasy world where kids with autism play behind pixelated avatars, but it might just be a world where they can be real.