Research aims to help children get more out of play

A NEW kind of friendship bracelet designed by researchers at the University of Bristol is helping children better understand one another during play - particularly in neurodiverse groups where social interaction can often be a challenge.

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Unveiled yesterday at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Yokohama, the device uses coloured buttons to light up and signal a child's preferred play mode.

Green shows they are playing with others, blue means they prefer to play alone, and yellow indicates they are open to social play.

The technology aims to foster understanding between autistic and neurotypical children by making visible the social intentions that are often misread or missed altogether. Researchers said it could play a major role in encouraging more inclusive playground interactions.