VR is helping kids with autism make sense of the real world
Virtual reality and data mining are being used to help children and young people with some of the most severe forms of autism.
Staff at this specialist care facility in Berkshire, England, are discovering the benefits of introducing children to new environments using VR headsets.
Nuno Guerreiro is the computing teacher at Prior's Court.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) NUNO GUERREIRO, COMPUTING TEACHER AT PRIOR'S COURT SCHOOL SAYING:
"Our young people, they have difficulties with sensory issues, so they can find it overwhelming going to very busy places or transitioning to a new place. So they like what is familiar, they like their routine. So the VR sets allow them to experience new realities and probably help them transition when they have to face a new place."
Jonathan Curtis says the new tech is a great tool, which helps his son, Dexter, to focus.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) JONATHAN CURTIS, DEXTER'S DAD, SAYING:
"Dexter finds it very hard to process the world around him. And when he's in VR it allows him to focus much more, he has a lot more concentration and less anxiety. And it enables him to experience things that would otherwise be very difficult for him to do."
The registered charity have also set up a data mining project called "Prior Insight" to help those who are non-verbal and are unable to communicate their needs.
Project leader Elaine Hudgell, says they're aiming to collect large quantities of information on the young people using their services, improving the care they can provide through detailed reports.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) PRIOR INSIGHT OPERATIONAL PROJECT LEAD, ELAINE HUDGELL, SAYING:
"That information looks at things like incidents, seizure activity, food and drink input, toiletry input, personal care, any activities they've done and any sleep data (...) We're hoping to not only increase our knowledge and awareness about the world of young people with autism at Prior's Court, but we're also hoping to be able to in time share that with the wider autism world."
