- Virtual reality could help autistic people learn to deal with crowded situations
- This is because in virtual worlds people and the environment are predictable
- Scientists have been using the Oculus Rift headset to test how it could help
- The technology involves tracking, 3D audio and high resolution video to immerse users in a virtual world
Virtual reality could soon be used to help autistic children in the classroom.
The technology helps autistic groups break down the perceptual and societal barriers that make classrooms a difficult place for them to learn.
Researchers claim Virtual reality can provide a safe environment for autistic people to learn how to deal with busy and stressful situations.
Virtual reality could be used to help autistic children in the classroom. The technology helps autistic groups to break down the perceptual and societal barriers that make classrooms a difficult place for them to learn (stock image)
This is because virtual environments and people are more predictable and consistent than in the real world.
Scientist Dr Nigel Newbutt has been using the Oculus Rift to help children with autism.
The technology involves tracking, 3D audio and high resolution video to immerse users in a virtual world.
‘If used appropriately,’ Dr Newbutt told the Independent, ‘virtual reality can provide portals into a neurotypical world, and suggest ways to help navigate this world.’
Autistic people suffer from sensory overload because their brains struggle to block out external stimuli.
This can lead to anxiety or even panic attacks in loud, crowded situations such as school classrooms.
Last year, Dr Newbutt and his team at Michigan State University researched how virtual reality may help people with autism.
They focused on the sufferers’ physical experience and the relevance of VR to real-world situations.
A virtual reality classroom is different to a real one, Dr Newbutt says, because the world is predictable and reacts to players with a high degree of consistency.
Human avatars in a virtual world have less unpredictable physical inflections than real humans – their body language and facial expressions are simplified.
For autistic people, this can reduce confusion because it’s almost impossible to misread something, the researchers found.
But Dr Newbutt says that more research is needed to uncover whether there is ‘a risk of staying in… immersing in virtual reality without any bridging of awareness and skills to the real world.’
Virtual reality could be used in classrooms in the future to provide a flexible and affordable support scheme for autistic children.
Scientist Dr Nigel Newbutt at UWE Bristol has been using the Oculus Rift headset (pictured) to help children with autism. The technology involves tracking, 3D audio and high resolution video to immerse users in a virtual world
Dr Newbutt says that virtual reality could similarly be used to help autistic people deal with other crowded and loud situations, such as the London Underground or coping with heavy traffic.
He says of his VR training scenarios, ‘their real potential is for those on the autistic spectrum to gain enough understanding of the neurotypical world to be able to choose what to take on in their pursuit of self-sufficiency and happiness.
‘We are gradually shifting perspectives from deficits to strengths.’