AUTISM-VR

Project period: September 2019 – December 2021

Target group: Young people with autism aged 15-25 and potential employers.
Coordinator: Vifin (Denmark)
Partners of the project: Pistes Solidaires (France), Vifin (Denmark), Wisamar (Germany), Synthesis (Cyprus), London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (UK).

Website: see the website

The context:
People living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show difficulties when communicating, or with any social interaction. These issues can make it difficult for them to feel at ease in ordinary situations and also to find a job, making these people victims of social exclusion. In order to find a solution to this,  several organizations all around the world believe that virtual reality can be a form of therapy for autism. European countries as well as the United States have already experimented with navigating through virtual reality. All of the experiences show the positive impact VR has for autists, by helping them develop social and professional skills.

The objectives of the project are:
– To enable people with ASD to participate in social inclusion and to gain access to jobs.
– To develop virtual reality tools of casual situations so people with autism feel at ease in ordinary circumstances.
– A double innovative project: (1) to create a support (virtual reality) and (2) to create the content of this support, which will be developed by the people with ASD.

The results:

The project has led to the creation of an innovative and effective VR app that allows for training in VR environments (everyday situations) that autists struggle in. The environments have been developed and tested by autists themselves. Learn more about the app.

The project has also led to a manual for employment of people with ASD, that encourages their integration into professional environments.