When does video gaming become more than just playing the games?

Around the world, millions of families are struggling with problematic video gaming, often in shame, confusion, or denial. For children and young people with ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodiversity, the pull of gaming can be even stronger than for neurotypical individuals. For parents of neurodivergent children, the answer isn’t always as simple as “take away the games.”

In Wired to Game; Neurodiversity and the Addiction Trap, family coach and author Elaine Uskoski explores the powerful connection between neurodiversity, executive-function challenges, and gaming addiction. Drawing on research, professional insights, years of working with families, and her own son Jake’s journey from gaming addiction to recovery, she looks beyond the screen to understand what makes gaming so compelling—and what can help break the cycle.

This book offers parents a roadmap for understanding the child behind the gaming, building essential skills, and turning insight into action.

Because the path to change begins with understanding.

Elaine Uskoski is an award-winning speaker, family coach, and author dedicated to helping families navigate the challenges of problematic video gaming and gaming addiction. Through her private practice, Elaine works with parents around the world, providing practical guidance, education, and hope as they support their children toward healthier, more balanced lives. She also serves as the Parent Coach for Game Quitters, one of the world’s leading organizations supporting individuals and families affected by problematic gaming.

Elaine is also the author of Seeing Through the Cracks and Cyber Sober: A Caregiver’s Guide to Video Gaming Addiction. Her work is inspired by her own family’s lived experience as her son recovered from severe video gaming addiction, a journey that transformed personal hardship into a lifelong mission to educate, advocate, and support other families.

Over the past decade, Elaine has coached hundreds of families, spoken internationally to parents, educators, clinicians, and community organizations, and collaborated with leading professionals in the fields of mental health, addiction, and neurodiversity. Her work focuses on helping families understand the complex factors that contribute to problematic gaming while equipping them with practical, evidence-informed strategies that foster recovery, resilience, and stronger family relationships.

Elaine’s expertise has been featured by numerous media outlets, including CBC’s The National, CBC Radio, Global News, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Family, and other national and international media. She is a passionate advocate for greater awareness of gaming addiction and believes that with understanding, support, and the right skills, recovery is possible.

Elaine lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband.

Her mission is to ensure that no family facing problematic gaming feels as alone as hers once did.