An evaluation of the use of a computer game in improving the choice reaction time of adults with intellectual disabilities

An increasing body of work explores the effects of computer software on cognition but little focuses on people with intellectual disabilities (learning disabilities). To test whether interactive software may reduce choice reaction time (CRT), 16 people with severe intellectual disabilities were randomly allocated to either an intervention or a control group. The intervention group spent eight sessions playing a switch-controlled computer game that required a timed response while the control group spent the same amount of time playing a computer-based matching game that did not require a timed response. Both groups completed a test of CRT before and after the intervention. The intervention group showed a significant reduction in their CRT from baseline while the control group did not.