Abstract of J.S. Tannous lecture


EVALUATION OF VR VS. CAI AS TEACHING STRATEGIES
AMONG STUDENTS WITH ASD: A META-ANALYSIS

J.S. Tannous, O.E. Hetzroni
University of Haifa, Israel

Students with ASD demonstrate severe behavioral, communicative,
social, and cognitive deficits. Such deficits interfere with the process of
learning new skills and generalizing these skills (Mesibov, Shea, &
Schopler, 2005). Over the years, many adapted intervention strategies
and treatment methods were developed in order to increase the
efficacy of the learning process. Such strategies are meant to increase
the children's abilities in different domains, taking into account the
specific and unique learning profile of children who have ASD
(Corsello, 2005). Assistive technology (AT) has been found to be
effective for teaching individuals with ASD. Computer assisted
intervention (CAI) offers opportunities for multi-sensory interactions,
controlled and structured environments that can assist children with
ASD (Hetzroni & Tannous, 2004). Virtual reality (VR) is a combination
of technologies, allowing creation and exploration of virtual
environments, that may have a realistic appearance, allowing an
authentic simulation of situations, which maximizes the likelihood of
generalized learning (Mitchell, Parsons & Leonard, 2007). Use of
training and practice in controlled environments has been found to be
effective for children with ASD when later performing in natural
environments (Hetzroni & Tannous, 2004). Offering such
environments, CAI and VR interventions have been investigated for
effectiveness as teaching strategies. The purpose of this study was to
investigate differences and similarities between VR and CAI as
teaching instruments for children with ASD. Results of a primary
review will be presented, as well as a discussion about the nature and
characteristic of the common and different components of both
strategies.


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