Motivating Online Game Intervention to Enhance Practice Engagement in Children with Functional Articulation Disorder

The increasing demand for medical services in hospitals has sparked interest in exploring alternative methods to support children with functional articulation disorders. Online speech games have emerged as a promising avenue to motivate children to engage in speech therapy. This study investigates the impact of gamification strategies on children's motivation within the context of speech rehabilitation games. Four distinct game prototypes were developed, with a specific emphasis on stimulating children's motivation to speak. Two sets of experiments involving 48 participants were conducted to assess the influence of (1) time-limitation and (2) interactive imitation objects on children's motivation. The results revealed that time limitation significantly increased motivation, while the effect of imitation objects on motivation was not statistically significant. These findings offer valuable insights into designing effective speech games for children. By leveraging gamification strategies in online speech games, we can address the motivation challenges faced by children with functional articulation disorders and potentially enhance the efficiency of speech therapy interventions.