Virtea, virtual reality to reduce stress for people with ASD

Toni Codina on 5 October 2022

Virtual reality application that allows the recreation of different scenarios that are part of a specific activity to approach the situations in which people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will find themselves.

Virtea is focused on preparing children with ASD for stressful situations through the recreation of scenarios, which are part of the training that children will have to face different events. Everyday situations such as visiting a doctor, getting a haircut or waiting for the bus can generate a lot of nerves and anxiety. For this reason, virtual reality makes the journey from the waiting room to the doctor’s office, or to the hairdresser’s chair: Virtea makes it possible to work under conditions that in the future will be natural in a completely controlled context.

The recreation has been supervised by specialists, working as realistically as possible, and every detail is recreated, including the sunlight from the window. The recreation tries to be as warm as possible through the lighting, both interior and exterior, to lower the stress levels of the user.

The benefits of this tool are threefold: anticipation, stress reduction and improved quality of life. Firstly, anticipation helps to improve the attitude towards new situations that are out of the usual routine. In these moments of fear or discomfort, Virtea helps to reduce stress and this improves the quality of life of people with ASD and their families. The previous work allows to control anxious situations.

Characteristics of innovation

Lab, Bank of innovations, Childhood, Disability, Independent living, New technological tool, Prediction and prevention, User empowerment

Localization

Murcia, Spain

Partners / Funders

ASTRADE, EOEP of Murcia Region

Genesis

Nowadays, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects a large number of people in the world, being a group that needs more attention from Society, Public Administrations and also from companies.

People with ASD are comfortable following routine patterns and tasks. When faced with situations that are not usual for them, they may experience episodes of stress, fear, dread, panic and even trauma. Some of these situations are everyday activities and necessary, such as going to the doctor, getting a haircut, waiting for the bus or going on a journey.

Therefore, Virtea allows you to prepare yourself for difficult situations in order to reduce stress and be able to cope with them more easily.

Level of implementation

Virtea currently has two possible scenarios, and is working on adding a third: waiting for the diver stop.

The app can be downloaded for Android and iOS from 2019.

More information

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Soy Cappaz, support for the autonomous life of people with intellectual disabilities

Toni Codina on 28 September 2022

Mobile application that promotes the autonomy of people with intellectual disabilities in their daily life and work environments. The tool increases the freedom and security of the person with a disability, and the peace of mind of their professional or family members, thanks to better coordination between the user and the support staff, who can follow the activity of the person with a disability with alerts and in real time.

Soy Cappaz has 4 main functionalities: calendar, where I am, my work and I need help. The first one, calendar, allows remembering important appointments and is synchronised with Google Calendar, so that it can be updated by a support person from any device. Secondly, the where I am function is useful for commuting and keeps support people informed of delays or detours. My Jobs has personalised videos on specific tasks (such as how to use the printer at work or how to put the washing machine on) and can be activated by scanning sticker barcodes. Finally, the I need help button allows you to communicate directly with support people in case of an emergency.

It is an easy-to-use tool adapted to the needs of the target group, including tutorials on how to use it. The aim is to reduce the employment gap suffered by people with intellectual disabilities through a practical and simple tool that facilitates their daily and working life.