Esports improve social skills at special needs school

A special needs school is reporting surprisingly positive results from participating in an online esports championship.

Esports boost pupils' social skills Students at a special needs school Location: Slough, UK have shown behavior improvements since participating in online esports tournaments (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOU WEST, HEADMASTER OF MILLSIDE SCHOOL SAYING: "Many of our young people at this particular provision, Millside School, have special educational needs involving their social, emotional, mental health and one of the things that we found that has been a real motivator by this being part of this tournament.

So students' attendance has gone up at school.

They might not want to come and do their maths and English but they need to be here doing their maths and English in order to be able to play in the tournament at lunchtime." The British Esports Association offers schools free computers so students can practice their online gaming skills in a structured environment (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOU WEST, HEADMASTER OF MILLSIDE SCHOOL SAYING: "So we've had improved attendance by 10, 15 percent from some young people.

And similarly their behavior logs, their communications skills have improved, their motivation to engage properly with adults in school because they want to be part of the tournament, they want to be part of this buzz that's going on and so their behavior has improved as well."