A study revealed that individuals with autism were overrepresented in the board gaming community and might benefit from the unique social and cognitive aspects of this hobby. The research, conducted by Liam Cross, Francesca Belshaw, Andrea Piovesan, and Gray Atherton, employed a mixed methods approach to explore the intersection of autism and hobbyist board gaming through three interrelated studies.

The study was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Its key findings included:

• Individuals with autism made up 4.7% of the board gaming community, compared to the estimated global prevalence of 1%.
• Board games provided a structured environment that was both stimulating and comforting for individuals with autism, facilitating social interactions and engagement in personal interests.
• Gamers with autism showed a greater preference for cooperative games and online gaming compared to gamers without autism.
• Introducing board games to individuals with autism who were not previously engaged in the hobby revealed that the games posed challenges but also facilitated social interaction and relationship building.

The initial study surveyed over 1,600 board gamers and found that participants' mean Autism Quotient score was 21.36, higher than the general population mean of 19.38. Among individuals with a diagnosis of autism, 9.3% also reported having adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, compared to 2.7% in typically developing individuals and 5.8% in those with broader autism phenotype traits.

Qualitative interviews with 13 board gamers with autism, analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, identified four primary themes: a preference for systemizing, the role of board games in escapism and passion, the facilitation of social interactions, and challenges with deception.

The third study introduced board games to 28 individuals with autism across four separate sites in the UK. Focus group discussions revealed that board games posed challenges but also facilitated social interaction and were seen as an alternative social activity useful for forming and maintaining relationships.

The findings from all three studies highlighted the potential role of board games in improving social connections and well-being for individuals with autism. The structured and engaging medium provided by board games might offer unique benefits for socialization and personal development in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.