Health Matters: New Use for Avatars

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Health Matters: New Use for Avatars

March 4, 2011

A brain health center in Texas is using high technology to help people who have

autism.

They're trying a new type of therapy to help children learn about social

interaction.

Enter the virtual world.

Hollywood quality digital images, virtual people.

It's a place for Thurston to learn how to socially interact.

Thurston has Asperger's disorder, a form of autism.

He and his brain health therapist interact with each other in separate rooms

using characters referred to as avatars.

They're called avatars, so when you're driving an avatar, you're in virtual

space running one of these characters as yourself.

Four or five sessions in here is worth about two or three years of real world

training.

From coffee shop meet-ups to job interviews, Thurston virtually practices for

social situations, because he, like most autistic children don't understand

emotions and facial expressions.

In time, this technology will be remote, allowing anyone anywhere to participate

with researchers.

Thurston's mom says the progress is so great, finally people see her son for who

he really is and not the disability.

The Center for Brainhealth works with children as young as seven.