Virtual reality (VR) technology, because it creates simulated scenarios in which users can play, experiment, and practice, is seeing increased use in various education and training scenarios. One possibility that is being explored is the role of VR in helping autistic children overcome difficulties that they face in the wider world.
Floreo, a tech startup founded by Vijay Ravindran, formerly of Amazon and the Chief Digital Officer of the Washington Post, is focused on just that. Ravindran was inspired to work on the company after he saw his six-year-old autistic son play with a VR headset in 2015, and subsequently act out what he had done in VR in the playroom. Autistic children often struggle with ‘playing pretend,’ which is a typical tool for young people in developing environmental awareness and social skills. But his son’s ability to learn from the VR experience motivated Ravindran to start Floreo and design virtual reality lessons to help autistic children, in conjunction with professional therapists, special educators, and parental involvement.
Seven years on, virtual reality equipment is much more widely available, and Floreo’s lessons are designed to work with even the lowest-end headsets, as well as an iPhone or iPad so that the parent or therapist can monitor and guide the student by prompting questions or adjusting the VR scenario. Lesson topics include training for real-world experiences such as street crossings or navigating public spaces like airports, cafeterias, or parties. Floreo is also flexible enough to enable telehealth lessons, which was crucial during the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
The use of behavioral therapy is a delicate subject in the autistic community, with advocates cautioning that children should not be ‘punished’ for not acting like neurotypicals, so therapies should be focused on the child’s well-being. In Floreo’s case, therapists have praised the ability of VR to give children control over their environments as empowering and positive.
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AI Optimization Disruptive Researcher – Chief Development Officer and CoFounder at AccelOne – Blockchain Certified Developer – Autonomous Cars Engineer – Industrial Engineer – McLaren Fan
My Tech journey started 38 years ago with a Yamaha CX5M Computer / Synth, and since then, I have had a nonstop career adding experiences in several industries and technologies. I am an AI researcher and Ph.D. student and the Chief Development Officer of AccelOne. I lead a team of passionate talent in software engineering services, which are delivered from LA to the US. I have a strong technical background with more than three decades of experience in complex project and team management in various areas, including product design and development in Entertainment, eCommerce, Retail, Logistics, Business Intelligence, and Financial Services. I was CTO of Axigma Technologies, managing mobile business and consumer development projects for brands, including The Marketing Store and C9W. I founded the computer training institute IEC, which provided training services in several different programming languages and design and animation tools. In 2005 I founded Routeck, a development software company devoted to special projects (such as open-source firmware programming), credit card reconciliation, and specific products for retail. I was Development Manager at Infinite Corporation, managing their iSeries and Web products, a former Senior Software Engineer at COTO, and a Senior Web Applications Engineer at HSBC.
