Key notes:
- Virtual Reality (VR) could help people with autism in crowded situations.
- VR people and environment is predictable.
- This technology involves tracking,3D audio and high-resolution video to indulge users in a virtual world.
VR could help autistic children in the classroom very soon. This technology helps to break down the perceptual and societal hinderances that makes classrooms a difficult place for them to learn. Researchers claim that VR can assure a safe environment for these people to learn in dealing with busy and stressful situations.
Virtual environments are more consistent than the real world. Scientist Dr. Nigel Newbutt has been using the Oculus Rift to help children with autism. This involves tracking, 3D audio and high-resolution video to immerse children in a virtual world. When used appropriately, this provides a neurotypical world and suggests ways to navigate this world.
People with autism suffer from sensory overloading due the incapability of their brains to eliminate external stimuli. This can lead to anxiety or even panic attacks in loud, crowded situations such as school classrooms.
Virtual reality classroom is predictable unlike the real classroom. In VR world there is consistent reaction to players and this can reduce confusion because its almost impossible to misread something, the researchers found.
However, more research is needed to uncover if there’s a risk of staying in VR without any awareness and skills for the real world.
VR could be used in classrooms and in crowded situations like underground or heavy traffic to help autistic people. VR aims at providing real potential for those on the autistic spectrum to gain enough understanding of the neurotypical world enabling them to choose their pursuit of self-sufficiency and happiness.