Abstract
By the age of five, a child ought to have mastered the expertise of bilateral integra-tion, utilizing both sides of the body simultaneously, called “crossing the midline”. Children who have trouble crossing the body’s midline, frequently experience diffi-culties with mundane, day-to-day activities. In order to overcome midline crossing difficulties, children require treatment from occupational therapists. Many children living in rural South Africa, however, are not afforded the opportunity of receiving adequate health services. If a child requires health services such as occupational therapy the child will either have to travel long distances to be treated or may not even be aware that they have a condition that needs treatment. Using an agile approach and understanding the challenges children who suffer from crossing the midline face, this dissertation focuses on whether a serious game accompanied by an input device can assist occupational therapists identify whether a child has pathol-ogy with midline crossing, and whether such a device can assist in treating the child remotely where appropriate. Feedback received from occupational therapists, in both the development and testing phases, verified that the solution produced would assist them in assessing and treating children who have midline crossing difficul-ties. The affordability of the solution makes it suitable to implement in areas where occupational resources are limited.
M.Ing. (Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science)