Full Breakdown
Reporter Game Shows Promise for Reducing Sensory Overload in Autistic Children
By Drooid · · How we work
Study Overview
Researchers reported that a cognitive-reappraisal technique dubbed the “reporter game” may help autistic children manage anxiety triggered by uncomfortable sensations such as scratchy fabrics or loud car alarms. The findings were published in the *Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry* and involve functional MRI (fMRI) data indicating altered brain activity during the task.
Methodology and Findings
The study enrolled 47 autistic children and 45 typically developing peers, all aged 8 to 15. Participants were exposed to unpleasant textures (artificial grass, scratchy wool) applied to the forearm while an fMRI scanner recorded neural responses. Prior to scanning, each child learned the reporter game, which instructs them to describe sensations objectively, as a news reporter would, thereby employing cognitive reappraisal.
During the game, autistic participants showed a significant reduction in activity within sensory-processing regions of the brain compared with a baseline condition in which they simply focused on the texture. Both groups exhibited increased activation in frontal areas associated with emotional regulation. Notably, only the typically developing children reported the textures as less unpleasant when using the game; autistic children’s self-ratings of unpleasantness did not change, suggesting that neural changes may precede perceptual shifts.
Official Statement
“We know cognitive behavioral therapy interventions work for anxiety and emotional responses, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel,” — Shulamite Green, an associate professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA “We know cognitive behavioral therapy interventions work for anxiety and emotional responses, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel,” — Green, an associate professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA.
Potential Impact
The reporter game builds on established cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocols, meaning it could be integrated into existing autism-focused treatment programs without extensive new training. While brain-activity reductions are evident, the lack of immediate change in subjective discomfort indicates that longer-term practice may be required before children experience noticeable relief. Further research is needed to determine whether sustained use of the technique translates into reduced sensory-related anxiety in daily life.