Virtual worlds can be used to help autistic children develop social skills, suggest early findings from new research called Echoes, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

In the research, children use multitouch to activate virtual characters on the screen and experiment with different social scenarios, allowing the researchers to compare their reactions with those they display in real-world situations.

Over a number of sessions, some children demonstrate a better quality of interaction within the virtual environment and an increased ability to manage their own behavior, enabling them to concentrate on following a virtual character’s gaze or focus on a pointing gesture, thus developing the skills vital for good communication and effective learning.

The findings could prove useful in helping children with autism to develop skills they normally find difficult. “The beauty of it is that there are no real-world consequences, so children can afford to experiment with different social scenarios without real-world risks,” said project leader Dr Kaska Porayska-Pomsta.