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Virtual reality and robots for autism: moving beyond the screen

Virtual reality and robots for autism: moving beyond the screen
Virtual reality and robots for autism: moving beyond the screen
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 around them, we can begin to build up a picture of best practice around technology for autism.

Originality/value: This paper offers up-to-date insights from leading academics on the benefits and challenges of innovative technologies in the field of autism research and practice. Specifically, it highlights the importance of including a breadth of expertise in the design of such tools, and the need to consider technology as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
211-216
Good, Judith
fc0d2fb8-00b5-46f6-9e53-2e197d1caef5
Parsons, Sarah
5af3382f-cda3-489c-a336-9604f3c04d7d
Yuill, Nicola
c770530a-29fb-4a88-84bd-e3b8b41465b3
Brosnan, Mark
3a96431a-cc4a-49c5-8058-60c6f399847a
Good, Judith
fc0d2fb8-00b5-46f6-9e53-2e197d1caef5
Parsons, Sarah
5af3382f-cda3-489c-a336-9604f3c04d7d
Yuill, Nicola
c770530a-29fb-4a88-84bd-e3b8b41465b3
Brosnan, Mark
3a96431a-cc4a-49c5-8058-60c6f399847a

Good, Judith, Parsons, Sarah, Yuill, Nicola and Brosnan, Mark (2016) Virtual reality and robots for autism: moving beyond the screen. Journal of Assistive Technologies, 10 (4), 211-216. (doi:10.1108/JAT-09-2016-0018).

Record type: Article

Abstract

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 around them, we can begin to build up a picture of best practice around technology for autism.

Originality/value: This paper offers up-to-date insights from leading academics on the benefits and challenges of innovative technologies in the field of autism research and practice. Specifically, it highlights the importance of including a breadth of expertise in the design of such tools, and the need to consider technology as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.

Text
Good et al (2016) Virtual reality and robots for autism Author Accepted - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 23 September 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 19 December 2016
Published date: December 2016
Organisations: Centre for Research in Inclusion

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 406884
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/406884
PURE UUID: 32453de6-ac0d-404c-bd78-0e7c0d7fc42a
ORCID for Sarah Parsons: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2542-4745

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 25 Mar 2017 02:04
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 05:10

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Contributors

Author: Judith Good
Author: Sarah Parsons ORCID iD
Author: Nicola Yuill
Author: Mark Brosnan

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