THE SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 

Under the provisions of the regulations for the degree 

MASTER OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN 

on

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST 

West Architecture 250

Teams Link:  https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/21251513384859?p=HpdPL4JliSHYbGH0mx

Berkeley Chandler

will present a thesis defense entitled, 

"Exploring The Application & Codesign of Serious Games to Promote Self-Advocacy, Empathy, and Social Connection Among Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Peers"

  Advisor: 

Dr. Leandro Miletto Tonetto, Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design 

Committee:  

Dr. Gordon Vos, Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design 

Mrs. Abbi Wahl, Austin Road Elementary School

Faculty and students are invited to attend this presentation. 

Abstract  

Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) are more likely to face unique psychosocial obstacles that negatively affect their social and emotional well-being in comparison to their peers, typically causing them to experience higher levels of social isolation and mental health struggles. While serious games are increasingly being utilized in pediatric healthcare settings, they typically focus on clinical education and internal self-regulation rather than any social components of well-being. This research aims to address this gap by exploring how serious games can be codesigned with children to support self-advocacy, empathy, and peer connection among CSHCN and their peers. The study utilizes an iterative, human-centered design methodology that combines expert insights from pediatric medical professionals with codesign methods involving middle-childhood-aged children, hypothesizing that directly involving children in the design process leads to unique insights into how children naturally express themselves and connect with one another through play. Study findings provide a deeper understanding of the specific game mechanics that foster social and emotional well-being in children, evidence supporting the efficacy of codesigning with children, and design recommendations for future serious games that aim to improve psychosocial quality of life for children with special health care needs.