Helping children with intellectual disabilities develop real-world life skills in virtual reality
Chief Investigator:
Mr Stefan Michalski [Early Career Researcher]
Research Area:
Improving children’s mental health and the impact of developmental disorders
Clinical Study.
Funding Year:
2021
Funding Amount:
$39,026
Recipient:
University of South Australia
Overview:
Learning life skills is challenging. This is particularly true for children with intellectual disabilities (ID). Mastering life skills builds confidence, self-esteem and independence. It is therefore critical to find effective ways for training essential life skills such as cooking, shopping and housekeeping. We know that hands-on learning yields better outcomes than traditional school-based learning in children with ID. Yet, the time, logistics and resources to provide hands-on training are often limited. Virtual reality (VR) may offer a powerful solution for children with ID to practice essential life skills in a safe environment that simulates real-world scenarios.
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