A Gaze-Contingent Adaptive Virtual Reality Driving Environment for Intervention in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract
In addition to social and behavioral deficits, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle to develop the adaptive skills necessary to achieve independence. Driving intervention in individuals with ASD is a growing area of study, but it is still widely under-researched. We present the development and preliminary assessment of a gaze-contingent adaptive virtual reality driving simulator that uses real-time gaze information to adapt the driving environment with the aim of providing a more individualized method of driving intervention. We conducted a small pilot study of 20 adolescents with ASD using our system: 10 with the adaptive gaze-contingent version of the system and 10 in a purely performance-based version. Preliminary results suggest that the novel intervention system may be beneficial in teaching driving skills to individuals with ASD.
Funding Information
  • National Institutes of Health (1R01MH091102-01A1)
  • National Science Foundation (0967170)
  • Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (Hobbs Society Grant)

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