Virtual worlds for people with autism spectrum disorder: a case study in Second Life

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to explore the use of virtual worlds by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular focus on the virtual world Second Life™. METHOD: Case study methodology was selected to explore the experiences of Wolf, a participant with ASD, in Second Life. Wolf participated in three in-depth interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a content analysis to identify themes and sub-themes. RESULTS: Analysis identified four main themes: social factors and communication, empowerment, virtual world versus physical world, and social cues and body language. CONCLUSION: Anecdotally Wolf's experiences suggest that people with ASD enjoy using a virtual world and may feel more comfortable communicating in the virtual world context than the physical world. Virtual worlds offer a venue for people with ASD to be a part of a virtual society, lowers communication barriers experienced in the physical world, and gives the participant a unique opportunity to create and maintain friendships. Virtual worlds offer an arena for people with ASD to meet their peers on equal terms, not being dependent on social cues, which in the physical world can be a barrier for communication for this group. Further research in this area is required. Implications for Rehabiliation People with autism spectrum disorder enjoy using a virtual world and may feel more comfortable communicating in the virtual world context than the physical world. Virtual worlds offer a venue for people with autism spectrum disorder to be a part of a virtual society. Virtual worlds offer an arena for people with autism spectrum disorder to meet their peers on equal terms, not being dependent on social cues, which in the physical world can be a barrier for this group.

Increased premotor cortex activation in high functioning autism during action observation

The mirror neuron (MN) hypothesis of autism has received considerable attention, but to date has produced inconsistent findings. Using functional MRI, participants with high functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome were compared to typically developing individuals (n=12 in each group). Participants passively observed hand gestures that included waving, pointing, and grasping. Concerning the MN network, both groups activated similar regions including prefrontal, inferior parietal and superior temporal regions, with the autism group demonstrating significantly greater activation in the dorsal premotor cortex. Concerning other regions, participants with autism demonstrated increased activity in the anterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus, and reduced activation in calcarine, cuneus, and middle temporal gyrus. These results suggest that during observation of hand gestures, frontal cortex activation is affected in autism, which we suggest may be linked to abnormal functioning of the MN system.

Exploring factors related to the anger superiority effect in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Despite face and emotion recognition deficits, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) appear to experience the anger superiority effect, where an angry face in a crowd is detected faster than a neutral face. This study extended past research to examine the impacts of ecologically valid photographic stimuli, gender and anxiety symptoms on the anger superiority effect in children with and without ASD. Participants were 81, 7-12year old children, 42 with ASD matched on age, gender and perceptual IQ to 39 typically developing (TYP) children. The photographic stimuli did not impact on task performance in ASD with both groups exhibiting the anger superiority effect. There were no gender differences and no associations with anxiety. Age was associated with the effect in the TYP but not ASD group. These findings confirm a robust effect of speeded detection of threat in ASD which does not appear to be confounded by gender or anxiety, but may have different underlying age-associated mechanisms.

Technology use and teenagers diagnosed with high-functioning Autism: in and across differentiated spaces

This chapter investigates how social uses of technology situated within specific differentiated spaces enable youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to counter pre-conceived notions of autism as a form of limitation. In particular, we explore the richly layered, complex and creative lives that are enacted by young people who attend The Lab, an Australian-based technology club for youth diagnosed with High Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger’s Syndrome (AS).

A multidisciplinary perspective on motor impairment as an early behavioural marker in children with autism spectrum disorder

Objectives: There is no medical test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a heterogeneous condition currently defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) by dysfunction in social, communication, and behavioural dimensions. There is agreement in the literature that the motor profile of ASD may hold the key to improving clinical and diagnostic definition, with DSM-5 now referring to motor deficits, including “odd gait” (p. 55), as part of the ASD clinical description. This review describes the history of motor impairment in ASD, types of motor problems, and age-related motor findings and highlights evidence gaps and future research. Method: A narrative review is provided of the research literature describing motor impairment in ASD and its ability to differentiate between ASD versus non-ASD cohorts. Results: Findings show differences in motor development in children with ASD from infancy onwards, including difficulties across motor coordination, arm movements, gait, and postural stability. Motor disturbance may appear in young children with ASD prior to social and language difficulties becoming clinically apparent. However, challenges remain in defining and measuring the early motor profile that is specific to ASD. Despite well-established motor impairments in ASD, there is a lack of evidence regarding which motor-based interventions will be effective in this group. Conclusions: Motor impairment holds promise as an early diagnostic sign, a behavioural marker, and a means by which to improve identification and possibly phenotypic delineation in ASD. Further research is required to determine whether motor abnormalities can sensitively differentiate ASD from other developmental conditions and to establish evidenced-based interventions to reduce the associated impairment.