Tablet-based games could likely act as speech therapy for children who find it difficult to communicate effectively and boost their motivation and satisfaction, according to a study.

According to researchers, games can also be used both in hospitals and in outpatient activities. "Gadgets can be really helpful, and not merely entertainment devices. In speech therapy, more and more practical activities have been based on computer games lately. Kids can solve crosswords and puzzles, pronounce words that are difficult for them," said Andreja Istenic Starcic from Kazan Federal University in Russia.

Previous studies comparing tablet-based and traditional math programmes showed that kids can become more involved in gamified tasks on tablets than in traditional textbook tasks. For the new study, published in the journal Behaviour and Information Technology, the team conducted case studies with a small number of children aged between 3-12, who manifested speech problems.

The results indicated that the use of tablet games for therapy purposes had a positive impact on children's motivation and satisfaction. "The results showed that tablets have a positive influence on social learning among children. While traditional therapy leans on instruction, the practitioners in the tablet therapy actively involved children and tried to motivate them," Starcic said.