A Computational View of Autism: Using Virtual Reality Technologies in Autism Intervention (original) (raw)

Virtual Reality as a Promising Tool for Autism Intervention

International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 2021

This paper explores how Virtual Reality (VR) systems have been used as a rehabilitation tool for disabled population. Reviews were done in applications of virtual reality in patients with neurological disorders, visual impairment, psychiatric problems, children with physical disability and neurodevelopment disorders. This article mainly focused on the current status and use of virtual reality for children with autism. Literature was reviewed and the important findings are discussed in this paper. The virtual reality systems & designs, interventions method, treatment intensity and its effectiveness in target population were analyzed. The following skills emotion recognition, contextual processing, social attribution & executive function of analogical reasoning, navigation performance, safety skills, social interaction, motor & cognitive skills, conversational understanding were found to be improved in children with autism spectrum disorder by using VR. The paper also detailed the studies done in India using virtual reality in the disability field, mainly in autistic population.

Virtual reality in autism: state of the art

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 2011

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by core deficits with regard to three domains, ie social interaction, communication and repetitive or stereotypic behaviour. It is crucial to develop intervention strategies helping individuals with autism, their caregivers and educators in daily life. For this purpose, virtual reality (VR), ie a simulation of the real world based on computer graphics, can be useful as it allows instructors and therapists to offer a safe, repeatable and diversifiable environment during learning. This mini review examines ...

Update Research of Virtual Reality Technology on Children with Autism

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health, 2020

Autism, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by communication, communication disorder, narrow interest and stereotyped behavior. Existing studies have shown that VR (Virtual Reality) technology may have some unique advantages in interfering with children with autism. VR technology refers to the construction of an artificial, realistic, and multi-sensory virtual world through computers and other devices. In the aspect of auxiliary diagnosis, VR technology provides a unified observation standard through the manual foot movement and eye movement data of children in the virtual environment. At the same time, it can reflect the clinical characteristics of children according to the performance and response of children to complete tasks in virtual environment, and VR technology will be presented to children in the same environment as usual, which can better reflect the performance of children and adolescents in the real-life environment. In this paper, the application of VR techn...

Innovative use of virtual reality in autism spectrum disorder: A case-study

Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 2019

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are developmental disorders affecting communication and behavior. ASD incidence in the world population is about 1%, with a 4:1 ratio between males and females. In clinical practice, ASDs have been usually treated with cognitivebehavioral approaches, involving a face-to-face interaction with the therapist. Over the last years, virtual reality (VR) has played an important role in neurorehabilitation, even for ASD cognitive treatment. A 16-year-old boy with severe ASD and his caregiver were enrolled in the study. Two different cognitive trainings were administered; first, the boy was submitted to one-month cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); then, after one month of rest, a combined approach using VR (by means of the BTS-Nirvana System) and CBT was applied. Only the combined approach provided an improvement in attention processes and spatial cognition skills, with a significant reduction of ideomotor stereotypes. According to this experience, the use of VR in addition to CBT could be a useful and promising tool to improve cognitive function in individuals severely affected by ASD.

Effectiveness of Virtual Reality for People with Autism

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by limited social interaction, communication, and behavior that last a lifetime. More than 70% of individuals with autism have concurrent medical (e.g. epilepsy), developmental (e.g. intellectual disability), or psychiatric conditions (e.g. anxiety and depression). Health program that emphasizes intervention in knowledge, understanding and behavior are very important in people with autism. In the last decade the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in medicine is commonly used as a medium for medical treatment, disease prevention, rehabilitation, health education, reduce anxiety and fear in medical care. VR can improve the cognitive domain, affective, social learning, problem solving, decision making, and affect mental health and social support of people with autism. Internet based 3D VR has been adopted as an emerging learning platform to support social-interaction-oriented learning activities. The purpose of this study was to gather information about the effectiveness of virtual reality for people with autism. Database on PubMed, EBSCOhost, and SAGE Journal searched using the keywords virtual reality combined with autism and oral health have been published not less than 10 years. Obtained 11 journals that related to both the title and abstract. Virtual reality can affect the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of autism thus the use of virtual reality can be an effective media of treatment for people with autism.

Virtual reality and robots for autism: moving beyond the screen

Journal of Assistive Technologies, 2016

Purpose This short paper reports on the fourth seminar in a seven-seminar series entitled, “Innovative Technologies for Autism: Critical Reflections on Digital Bubbles”, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The purpose of this paper is to consider in more depth the technologies being developed and used in the autism field, and to critically reflect on their relative benefits and potential pitfalls. Design/methodology/approach Presentations from key researchers and practitioners are reviewed, highlighting contemporary issues in the area of autism and technology. The presentations include descriptions of cutting-edge technologies as well as the role of technology in human-human interaction. Findings Despite its potential, technology for autism is regarded by many with some caution: technology per se cannot provide solutions to key issues in the field. However, by looking in more depth at the features of new technologies and the interactions that take place with and a...

Defining Virtual Reality (VR). Scoping Literature Review on VR Applications in Autism Research

2022

Virtual Reality (VR) systems are a sophisticated interplay of technology and human perception. VR systems share three main features: immersion, interaction, and a sense of presence. Many empirical studies have since recognized VR as an important therapeutic tool. Research in VR and psychology has increased exponentially over the last few decades and has been reviewed previously. In our review, we will examine VR use in autism research as an illustrative example to demonstrate a need for precise definitions. Three databases were chosen: Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar. 42 studies were analysed. Recommendations for future research have emerged from the reviewed literature, such as the need for larger sample sizes representing the entire autism spectrum and wider age ranges. The most substantial problem in the literature reviewed is the problem of definitions of VR. We describe the need for clear definitions of the equipment used and propose more refined terminology.

Neuro-Cognitive Virtual Environment for Children with Autism (VECA)

International Journal of Signal Processing Systems, 2016

Autism a neurological disorder which is often diagnosed during early childhood and can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges over a lifetime. It is increasing day by day and people are inclining from clinical and psychological therapies to assistive technologies. We have developed an interactive virtual environment VECA that aims to enhance the cognitive skills and creativity in children with autism by playing games and interacting with the environment. The setup also incorporates the feedback of the child that whether he/she is comfortable with the environment or not. This solution is cost effective, with no side effects unlike traditional therapies, and can provide valuable insight to the behavior analysis of the autism patients.  Index Terms-artificial intelligence, autism, human tracking, interactive learning, virtual environment I. INTRODUCTION A neuro-developmental syndrome known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is usually diagnosed in early childhood. It affects the brain development which results in impaired social relationships, monotonous behaviors, limited range of interests and impaired language and communication. Approximately 50-60% of the children with autism are intellectually disabled [1]. Standardized intelligence testing and clinical assessment confirmed that Intellectual Disability arises during the brain developmental period. An adaptive functioning deficits which result in failure to comply with social, cultural and developmental standards for individual independence and communal responsibility. Without continual support, adaptive deficit limits functionality of the daily life activities, such as social involvement, individualistic living and communication [2]. Studies in Europe, North America and Asia, have indicated autistic individuals with an average prevalence of around 1%. South Korean study identified a prevalence of about 2.6% [3]. The situation is alarming due to the reports from last decade shows an immense increase in the occurrence of autism from approximate 4/10000 to 6/1000 children [4].