Interactive game for children with difficulty crossing the midline

Abstract

By the age of five years, a child ought to have mastered the corresponding expertise of bilateral integration, utilizing both sides of the body simultaneously, called “crossing the midline”. This means that when a child who has difficulty crossing the midline is confronted with actions that require the midline to be crossed, the child is unable to perform the action in the correct manner. When the midline is crossed spontaneously, paths in the brain are developed. This skill is essential for the advancement of various motor and cognitive skills. Children who have trouble crossing the body's midline, frequently experience difficulties with mundane, day to day activities. Understanding the challenges children who suffer from crossing the midline face, this paper focuses on the creation of an interactive game and particularly the development of an input device that could be used by children. It is postulated that the playing of an interactive game forms the required pathways to conduct movements that once did not seem comfortable or possible for the child. During development of the interactive game the guidance of occupational therapists was sought. What is unique about this project is the successful design of an affordable device, that can accurately simulate and guide the movement of the child in the process of treating their difficulty of crossing the midline. The project further provides scope for other gross and fine motor difficulties children have to be treated.