Sims and supporting special needs

@nivvva  If you'd like an answer from an EA community manager, just ask.  These are my thoughts.

I think it's highly likely you're not the only one, or even close to it.  Regardless of whether kids are on the spectrum or diagnosed with another learning disability or condition, games like the Sims have been an outlet for those who struggle socially for a long time, and at least some of them have probably learned useful skills from playing.  And related forums can also provide more easily navigable spaces that are easier for kids, and adults, who struggle in social situations.

I very much doubt that EA or Maxis would go very far out of the way to develop content specifically for supporting people with special needs, other than basic accessibility settings.  That doesn't mean you can't on your own though.  I don't know what programming language(s) you're comfortable with, but if you could find your way around Sims 4's Python script, you might be able to create mods with exactly the content you're looking for.

There are plenty of tools already in existence for would-be modders of Sims 4 (and earlier Sims games), and active modders willing to help newcomers get oriented.  A site like Mod the Sims would be a great place to start.  You could also download a few well-known mods to see how they're made, what kinds of interactions are easily added to the game, that sort of thing.  There are already enough skills and other functions built into Sims 4 that it might be somewhat straightforward to change the parameters, or add extra tasks, and thus tweak gameplay to your liking.  I'm not a coder though, so I'm just speculating.

I think it could be a worthwhile project, and potentially a more interesting way to play, if someone, or a group of people, decided to develop these kinds of mods.  After all, one of the complaints about Sims 4 is the limited gameplay and personalities available without mods.  So your audience might be even wider than just kids with learning differences.

@nivvva , as an adult who has been diagnosed with ADHD, and is probably also someone who is what used to be called Asperger's , but is now just called High Functioning Autism, I love your idea!  ❤️  While it wouldn't be able to be done in the Sims , at least not as a main title in the franchise, it would be a good educational resource option!  🙂

They didn't have the Sims when I was a child, or even a teen, but I know I would have loved it! 🥳 And if they were to add aspects of the simulation that addressed my situation, I'm sure it would have been a powerful learning experience! 🙌

I hope you can either find or help develop something similar (pardon the pun 😉 ), and that it can help your child! 🤞 Many people over the years have played the Sims to help with feelings of loneliness, or being different, and that wasn't even a simulation designed to do that, so I can only imagine how therapeutic a simulation game designed to help kids with Autism and ADHD would be! ❤️

Best wishes! 😇