Rui Silva
ABSTRACT
The evolution of virtual reality (VR) technologies has been notorious, both for leisure activities and for activities related to education. The efficiency of this technology in education leads us to point out several benefits and strengths, for students with specific educational needs (SEN), especially for those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this sense, the growing number of students with ASD requires us to innovate so that we can rehabilitate this group of students, giving them a better quality of life. We can improve their skills: social, behavioural, emotional, cognitive; and even their daily tasks. VR offers a panoply of tools, such as interactive three-dimensional simulations of scenarios that can be used with students with ASD. In this literature review several studies were identified, where they differ in the type of applications developed and the technology used by the students. Although optimism prevails, we need more studies on the use of this technology in educational settings. Thus, this article presents a systematic review of the state of the art on VR perspectives and case studies applied to students with ASD. Case studies are presented where VR technology has been successfully applied and with results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology in students with ASD. We are aware that much has to be done still to make the potential of VR an effective reality in the educational context and to allow a better quality of life for students with autism spectrum disorders. Also, we believe that in the next years teachers will be ever more capable of creating specific VR experiences. However, it is essential to have a solid theoretical basis to support the correct use of VR regarding students with ASD. This is our goal with this contribution.
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- Virtual Reality as a solution for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a state of the art systematic review
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