Autistic Culture | Where autism meets identity! Board Games are Autistic (Episode 95)
An episode that rolls the dice on a favorite autistic pastime!
In Episode 95 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Matt and Angela dive into the world of board games—a beloved pastime within the autistic community. Did you know that, according to research, only 1% of neurotypicals enjoy board games, compared to 7% of autistic individuals? This fascinating statistic highlights how board games resonate as a unique and cherished hobby within the autistic community.
Here’s what’s in store for today’s episode:
* Board games offer a structured, sensory-rich experience that fosters social skills, emotional regulation, and focus, while providing a healthy outlet for pattern recognition and creativity, all while allowing autistic individuals to connect with their SPINs and engage in stimulating, enjoyable play
* Autistic individuals often gravitate toward board games because of their clear structure, logical rules, and engaging systems. We explore the different types of board games—ranging from logic-based games like Catan and bottom-up processing-heavy games like Munchkin, to Star Wars-related and adjacent games, and beyond.
* Board games are often seen as a form of "social lubricant," providing a structured way to interact and connect with others in a comfortable and low-pressure environment.
* Board games are often recommended for fostering autism-affirming social skills, providing a structured and enjoyable way to practice communication, collaboration, and turn-taking.
* Games help autistic individuals with the concept of turn-taking by providing clear structure. In most board games, it is easy to see when your turn begins and ends, what actions you can take, and the order in which you can do them. These clearly defined objectives, roles, and turns help provide stability to our brains, creating a predictable environment that can reduce anxiety and improve focus.
* We discuss the close alignment between SPINs (Special Interests) and board games, exploring how both help us achieve monotropic focus, leading to improved emotional regulation. In addition, we also discuss the emotional aspects of board games, focusing on how they help teach fairness and honesty through structured interactions and clear rules.
* Games provide autistic brains with the pattern recognition we crave, offering a healthy outlet that helps prevent doom scrolling or catastrophizing, and instead fosters positive focus and engagement.
* Board games can bring out the best in us autistic folks, serving as a way to connect through our SPINs and transform our tendency to catastrophize into a positive, focused experience.
* In addition, board games are sensory fun and stim-tastic, offering a tactile and engaging experience that can be both soothing and stimulating for autistic individuals.
“They [board games] will be at the game night and there’s reduced social pressure. There’s a shared focus. There’s less anxiety because especially if you know the game, the goal is to play the game and then if you meet people, awesome.” - Dr Angela Kingdon
“So if you want to meet new people [through board games], it’s so much better to meet them when you are emotionally regulated and you know what the rules are. Not to say you won’t have a meltdown because meat bodies and phone calls and text messages and who knows, but you’ve got a better chance of meeting someone as your best self.” - Dr Angela Kingdon
“The intricacy of the names of the moves and the artistry of chess, that is a purely autistic creation.” - Dr Angela Kingdon
In this episode, we delve into the unique role board games play within autistic culture. From their structured rules and logical systems to their ability to foster social connection in a comfortable way, we discuss why board games hold a special place in the community. Thanks for tuning in! Share your favorite board game moments in the comments and join the conversation using #AutisticCultureCatch on social media. What resonated with you in this discussion? Let us know!
Show Notes:
https://autism.org/how-games-can-help-teach-social-skills/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38967700/
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