Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that impacts one’s social, behavioral, and life skills. Everyone experiences it differently. While ASD affects people globally, a group of students at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad, Pakistan, have noticed that a stigma surrounding the disorder may have prevented children from getting tested and diagnosed, meaning they will not get the support they need and deserve.
To help this issue, the team collaborated with the Autism Society of Pakistan (ASP) to create a project that has two parts. The first part is workshops for parents with children with ASD, with help from ASP. The second part involves a virtual reality device that can reproduce behavioral therapy aspects in what is called the “metaverse,” or in virtual reality. This will be combined with a tablet that an instructor will use to guide children through therapeutic scenarios. ASP staff will be trained to use the technology.
This project was made possible with a $2,000.00 grant from EPICS in IEEE.