Abstract concept and imagination teaching through Virtual Reality in people with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Issue title: Virtual Reality and Disability

Guest editors: Christian Berger-Vachonx, Daniel R. Mestre and Alain Pruskiy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Herrera, Gerardo^{a; *} | Jordan, Rita^b | Vera, Lucia^a

Affiliations: [a] Autism & Learning Difficulties Group, Robotics Institute, University of Valencia, Apartado de Correos 2085, 46071 Paterna, Valencia, Spain | [b] Autism Team, School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK | [x] University of Lyon, France | [y] Université François-Rabelais de Tours, Laboratoire d'Informatique, Polytech Tours, France

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 9635 43573; Fax: +34 9635 43550; E-mail: Gerardo.Herrera@uv.es.

Abstract: Virtual Reality (VR) has been claimed to provide a particularly facilitatory environment for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in that it offers structure, opportunities for repetition, affective engagement and, control of the learning environment. Virtual reality shares the advantages of computer-based learning, and has the additional advantage of making it more likely that the results will generalise to real-word settings, in that it is a simulation of them. For concept development and imagination training, VR offers its exclusive advantage of making it possible to explicitly show imaginary/magic transformations of how an object can act as if it were a different one, which is useful for training in both abstract concepts and imagination understanding. This paper reviews the relevant issues that need to be addressed when designing and experimentally assessing a tool for this purpose, and concludes with the results of the more relevant research outcomes obtained in this field.

Keywords: Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Virtual Reality, imagination, play

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-2006-18403

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 173-180, 2006