Science Update: The Science Radio News Feature of the AAAS

Virtual Children
February 19, 2008

“Virtual” children may help prepare kids with high-functioning autism to interact with their peers.

 

Transcript

BOB HIRSHON (host):
Virtual kids help real kids thrive. I‘m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Children with Asperger’s Syndrome often have difficulty with socialinteractions. Now scientists at Northwestern University have designedlife-size, animated “virtual children” to help them. Children withAsperger’s engaged in storytelling with both virtual children and realpeers. According to new media technologist Justine Cassell, thechildren displayed more advanced social skills when interacting withvirtual children than they did with real children. Then they were givencontrol of the virtual child while it interacted with a real child.

JUSTINE CASSELL (Northwestern University):
It’s a way of allowing that child to experiment with socialinteraction without having to feel the heat of that social interactionface to face.

HIRSHON:
The next step will be to test whether experiences with virtual childrenprepares kids with Asperger’s to interact with real peers. I’m BobHirshon, for AAAS, the science society.