Second Life virtual world: A heaven for autistic people?

Teacher training in the use of a three-dimensional immersive virtual world: Building understanding through first-hand experiences

“…Several participants pointed out the benefits of social skills practice for students with social skills challenges, such as students with autism. Using virtual worlds to practice life skills and teach empathy have been widely reported (e.g., deAngelis, 2009;Fusar-Poli et al, 2008;Mitchell et al, 2006;Moore et al, 2005;Newbutt & Donegan, 2010). The participating special education teachers suggested that educators receive extensive training in order to build enough confidence to teach in virtual worlds and to be informed about options of virtual spaces across different ages and subjects.…”

“…The key advantages of a virtual environment for people with social skills challenges include: (a) anonymous interactions and high levels of interactivity without requiring the complex language and social behavior that are typically necessary for face-to-face conversations (Fusar-Poli, Cortesi, Borgwardt, & Politi, 2008); (b) a relatively safe space where social mistakes are less catastrophic than in a real environment (Strickland, 1997); (c) a space where a sense of collaboration, community, and cohesion can be developed, and where rules can be learned and tasks repeated (Fusar-Poli et al, 2008); and (d) a space that reduces the stress and sense of risk that can occur during direct interaction with another person (Smith, Swanson, Holverstott, & Duncan, 2007). Virtual environments are considered a suitable platform for the simulation of social events, potentially allowing insight into others' minds.…”

A Targeted Review of Computer-Assisted Learning for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Towards a Consistent Methodology

“…However, technology can also provide a route to social contact. Online, people with ASD are heavy users of virtual worlds such as Second Life and may find these a way to combine a desire for social contact with a reluctance or difficulty with integrating into real-life social settings (Fusar-Poli et al 2008;Orsmond and Kuo 2011). More recently, technology has been used at home by younger people, (e.g.…”

“…Recent advances are beginning to change the face of technology-enhanced learning. In particular, the proliferation of the web (Jordan 2010), online gaming (Wilkinson et al 2008), virtual worlds such as Second Life (Fusar-Poli et al 2008), the rise of mobile devices such as Smartphones and the now wide-spread use of touchscreen technology invites new ways of thinking about education and support for people with autism spectrum disorders.…”

A systematic, inquiry-based 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training

“…Most definitions of social skills reflect the notions of choosing effective communicative actions that are appropriate to a given situation (Segrin and Givertz, 2003). Individuals with autism, for example, may benefit from practicing social encounters in a safe, virtual platform (Bernardini et al., 2014; DeAngelis, 2009; Fusar-Poli et al., 2008; Parsons and Cobb, 2011; Smith et al., 2007; Stichter et al., 2014; Trepagnier et al., 2011). For these individuals, virtual worlds offer a common platform where they can get together to practice peer interaction, engage in collaboration, and take advantage of the benefits of experiential learning, all under the guidance of a virtual teacher, and without having to be in the same room (Stichter et al., 2014).…”