Simuli: Spring 2017

Authors: KCAD students on Aspergers Spectrum Vince and Wade

See video screen captures and download the VR application here

Overview

Type of study: In progress review of first draft of scenario 1
KCAD students on Aspergers spectrum, Vince and Wade, reviewd the app using a View-Master Google Cardboard viewer.

Simuli is a work-in-progress. This Google Cardboard app aims to provide a VR experience for middle, high school and college students that simulates, in the first person, the feeling of some of the challenges that neurodiverse students face in a classroom setting. The goal is to develop empathy and understanding that will lead to improved interpersonal, social, learning and community relationships across all neuro spectrums (including "neurotypical"). The app focuses on the social aspects of experience neurodiverse challenges in a school setting.

Observations By Vince

Can relate to it because friend hates loud noises, very smart but can’t handle a lot of noise and loud environments. Some people have an optimal amount of sound, some can’t handle silence, some can’t handle loud noise. Silence is uncommon because they like to hear themselves[2] . They hum.
About Distorted sounds: Fast paced, brings tension to me and sounds like it would me worry and wonder what is going on.
Enjoys user experience because it does help the other people see perspective of the neurodiverse and whoever else is using it.
I like the robotic sounds because I relate to them because we don’t get emotion from it just the information because that's what I feel it is important.
I think nods are really good for communication because they’re very obvious social cues because that's what we can respond to. A lot of social cues we don’t like. A head nod (separate from a regular nod) is confusing because it could mean several different things, I know it means confusion. One of my classmates would only nod to answer a question and we had to figure out the cues [3]
Note taking portions in autistic institution were specific to classroom subjects and students. Teachers picked classes for the students and picked what they thought the student would excel in. For Vince that felt very limited because he was always curious about what other people were taking. the school never said disabled. There was catering to specific people and conditioning. Using carrot system. The school Vince went to was a good positive environment that was catered so that each student could learn without sticking to labels. Team based games and life skills like cooking basics. He had a deaf class mate who used sign language to communicate and his teacher bought a specific game for sign language and his entire class learned some
The nod would be a good thing to add for the class mate when the user gets a correct score in the game.
Social cues are not like cracking a code but a common language. Different people have different responses to the same social cue and associate it with a different message.
Treat the VR set like training wheels. To jumpstart the feeling of empathy.

Observations by Wade

“woah, I think it's a very clever idea and a pretty accurate representation about how this kind of thing feels and I’ll really have to see it in action. I like the approach you’re taking.
I definitely think it would be good to have more than option to give people a freedom on how to relieve their stress. different people have different ways to relieve their stress. I use drawing.
The person in authority has left and you begin to feel helpless.
Pretty solid so far. Feel like it’ll be really helpful. Maybe pupils are there but disappear when your anxiety meter goes up because you’re uncomfortable and they look scary. I don’t know if thats possible in the program but it gives you a level of uneasiness. possible to have expression when the anxiety meter is low but disappears when they get stressed. from my experience I’m pretty good with reading expressions. If they disappear when the anxiety meter gets higher then they’re much harder to read.
Ending message is pretty solid not much to add. I think it's good you didn't outright say this is about specific diagnoses.
Based on facial expressions, the sound distortions completely did what they were supposed. Was confirmed by Wade. “can’t imagine what it’ll be like when all the sounds go off at the same time.”
“I like the direction going in. The completed version would be very helpful for classroom students.”

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