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Using Role-playing Games To Assist Recovery of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

by Hawke Robinson — published Jun 20, 2015 05:05 PM, last modified Feb 05, 2023 12:22 PM
Originally presented as a slide show presentation for Eastern Washington University class "Recreation Therapy for People with Disabilities". This video is a presentation on the hypothetical use of role-playing games to help a patient with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) progress through various recovery stages. This includes Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA), Computer-based RPG, Tabletop, and Live-action role-play (LARP).
Using Role-playing Games To Assist Recovery of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

This video is a presentation on the hypothetical use of role-playing games to help a patient with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) progress through various recovery stages. This includes Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA), Computer-based RPG, Tabletop, and Live-action role-play (LARP).

The video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwD4fAZx_2w (RPG Research Youtube Channel,http://www.youtube.com/rpgresearch )

Supporting documents:

 

I am an undergraduate (senior) student at Eastern Washington University (EWU) working on an interdisciplinary degree in Recreation Therapy, Music (therapy), and Research Psychology.

In March 2013, as the final project for the class "Recreation Therapy for People with Disabilities", we were to each choose from a list of potential disabilities and create a recreation therapy treatment program.

I chose Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with the relevant impairments, and proposed using role-playing games with various modifications as the client recuperates.

This is of course completely hypothetical right now, but I would definitely appreciate suggestions, ideas, and feedback on this topic.

Thank you!

-Hawke Robinson

STATUS UPDATE January 2015.

Volunteering at Saint Luke's Rehabilitation since December 2014, in the Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury departments, assisting the Recreation Therapists. They want me to provide RPG and Music Therapy related programs. We are running into repeated facilities problems trying to do so however. Giving me the idea of maybe building a mobile facility to sole this and many other issues. They indicated they would LOVE it if I could do so. 

 

STATUS UPDATE March 2015

Have begun designing "The Wheelchair Friendly RPG Trailer", trying to figure out how I can raise funds enough to build it. Found a company in Arizona that specializes in this. Will be about $50k. Requires 10% deposit for them to start building from scratch. Bases on the "Toy Hauler" design, this is half to 1/5th the cost of more expensive metal medical facilities. I am starting to save my own money each month toward this goal.

STATUS UPDATE June 2015

I created a GoFundMe to try to help me raise the funds for building the trailer. I doubt it will get much traction, but will give it a shot. http://gofundme.com/rpgtrailer

STATUS UPDATE September 2015

I created a website to provide more information about the RPG Trailer, in response to many people asking a lot of questions as to "why build such a thing". Appears to be three main populations: laymen (gamers), therapists & nurses, and educators. http://www.rpgtrailer.com

 
Hawke Robinson
Hawke Robinson says:
Nov 12, 2015 02:55 AM
Join the conversation on Academia.edu. Currently multiple participants viewing the presentation and commenting. Your feedback is invaluable. Join here: Presentation: Using Role-Playing Games in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury: https://www.academia.edu/s/66d870657f
Jennifer Mutnick-Andes
Jennifer Mutnick-Andes says:
Jun 04, 2018 10:57 AM
I realize that this site was last updated in 2017, but I figured I'd reach out anyway. I am currently a graduate student in social work, pursuing a similar research project in terms of using RPGs with Trauma, with a plan to focus on TBIs in the future as RPGs (tabletop - both online and in person, then later on MMOs) actually assisted in my own husband's recovery after he sustained a TBI in 2013.
If your research is still going on, or if you would like to communicate with me more on the subject, please contact me at: JANDES at capellauniversity dot edu
Thank you,
Jennifer
Hawke Robinson
Hawke Robinson says:
Jun 13, 2018 05:18 PM
Actually, this website has new updates almost every day. It just depends on the section you are looking at. Usually the /blog section is most up to date. Sounds great. Want to know more. If you haven't emailed us already, please do send email to info at rpgresearch dot com and we would gladly discuss further with you! Hawke Robinson has the most experience with this topic, and should be available after June 15th. You can email him: hawke at rpgresearch dot com. Looking forward to speaking with you!