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Game Design Prototype with GIMs: Fostering Neurodiverse Connections Through Storytelling

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Serious Games (JCSG 2024)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 15259))

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Abstract

This ongoing experimental project investigates the use of Generative Image Models (GIMs) in crafting a picture book creation game designed to nurture social connections among autistic children and their neurotypical peers within a neuro-affirming environment. Moving away from traditional methods that often seek to condition neurodivergent children to socialize in prescribed ways, this project strives to cultivate a space where children can engage with one another naturally and creatively through art and storytelling, free from the pressure to adhere to standard social norms. Beyond merely “story-choosing,” the research highlights the potential of GIMs to facilitate “story-creating,” fostering peer social connections in a creative and structured collaborative learning experience.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Juan Salamanca Garcia and Peizhen Wu for their valuable assistance in refining the language and improving the clarity of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61802, USA

    Yiqi Xiao

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  1. Yiqi Xiao
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Correspondence to Yiqi Xiao .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Jan L. Plass

  2. New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Xavier Ochoa

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Xiao, Y. (2025). Game Design Prototype with GIMs: Fostering Neurodiverse Connections Through Storytelling. In: Plass, J.L., Ochoa, X. (eds) Serious Games. JCSG 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 15259. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-74138-8_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-74138-8_30

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-74137-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-74138-8

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