RANCANG BANGUN GAME EDUKASI ANAK AUTIS UNTUK MENINGKATKAN MOTORIK

ABSTRAK Game edukasi anak autis yaitu salah satu media pembelajaran yang di rancang untuk membantu anak autis supaya proses belajar mengajar menjadi menyenangkan sehingga materi pelajaran dapat lebih mudah dipahami oleh anak. Agar game dapat dimainkan oleh penyandang anak autis, maka game perlu dibuat dengan semenarik mungkin dari segi tema maupun tampilan. Salah satu media yang dapat digunakan dalam pembelajaran untuk game edukasi yaitu melalui mobile game. Platform android dipilih sebagai media pengembangan game edukasi. Dari permasalahan tersebut peneliti bermaksud merancang sebuah aplikasi Virtual Reality game edukasi untuk anak autis. Penerapan Finite State Machine (FSM) pada penelitian ini berguna untuk menentukan berbagai macam respon berdasarkan interaksi yang dilakukan oleh pemain. Metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah Research and Development (R&D). Materi yang diterapkan pada game edukasi ini merupakan materi membaca dan berhitung untuk anak autis. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, terkait pemahaman pengguna dan tanggapan dari anak autis mengenai game edukasi, game edukasi VR dapat menstimulus motorik anak autis dikarenakan adanya gerakan kepala ke kanan, kiri, atas dan bawah. Materi, tampilan visual, dan audio yang terdapat didalam game edukasi ini dapat dipahami anak autis. Metode Finite State Machine (FSM) dalam game edukasi ini juga berguna untuk menentukan alur benar atau salahnya terkait suatu jawaban pada level autis ringan dan autis sedang. Kata Kunci: Game Edukasi, Anak Autis, Android, Virtual Reality, Finite State Machine, Research & Development ABSTRACT Educational games for autistic children are one of the learning media designed to help autistic children so that the teaching and learning process becomes fun so that the subject matter can be more easily understood by children. In order for games to be played by children with autism, games need to be made as attractive as possible in terms of theme and appearance. One of the media that can be used in learning for educational games is through mobile games. The Android platform was chosen as the media for developing educational games. From these problems the researcher intends to design a Virtual Reality educational game application for autistic children. The application of the Finite State Machine (FSM) in this study is useful for determining various kinds of responses based on the interactions carried out by players. The method used in this research is Research and Development (R&D). The material applied in this educational game is reading and arithmetic material for autistic children. Based on the results of the study, regarding user understanding and responses from autistic children regarding educational games, VR educational games can stimulate autistic children's motor skills due to head movements to the right, left, up and down. The material, visual appearance, and audio contained in this educational game can be understood by autistic children. The Finite State Machine (FSM) method in this educational game is also useful for determining the correct or wrong path regarding an answer at the mild and moderate autistic levels. Keywords: Educational Games, Autistic Children, Android, Virtual Reality, Finite State Machine, Research & Developmen

Virtual reality in the rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities

Virtual reality (VR) possesses many qualities that give it rehabilitative potential for people with intellectual disabilities, both as an intervention and an assessment. It can provide a safe setting in which to practice skills that might carry too many risks in the real world. Unlike human tutors, computers are infinitely patient and consistent. Virtual worlds can be manipulated in ways the real world cannot be and can convey concepts without the use of language or other symbol systems. Published applications for this client group have all been as rehabilitative interventions. These are described in three groups: promoting skills for independent living, enhancing cognitive performance, and improving social skills. Five groups of studies are reviewed that utilize virtual technology to promote skills for independent living: grocery shopping, preparing food, orientation, road safety, and manufacturing skills. Fears that skills or habits learnt in a virtual setting would not transfer to the real world setting have not been supported by the available evidence, apart from those studies with people with autistic spectrum disorders. Future directions are in the development of more applications for independent living skills, exploring interventions for promoting motor and cognitive skills, and the developments of ecologically valid forms of assessment

Knowing me, knowing you: perspectives on awareness in autism

Purpose: This paper raises important questions from the different perspectives on autism research that arose from a seminar on autism and technology, held as part of an ESRC-funded series on innovative technologies for autism. Design/methodology/approach: The paper focuses on the roles of technology in understanding questions about different perspectives on autism: how do people on the spectrum see neurotypicals (people without autism) and vice versa?; how do we use eye-gaze differently from each other?; how might technology influence what is looked at and how we measure this?; what differences might there be in how people use imitation of others?; and finally, how should we study and treat any differences? Findings: We synthesise common themes from invited talks and responses. The audience discussions highlighted the ways in which we take account of human variation, how we can understand the perspective of another, particularly across third-person and second-person approaches in research, and how researchers and stakeholders engage with each other. Originality/value: We argue that the question of perspectives is important for considering how people with autism and neurotypical people interact in everyday contexts, and how researchers frame their research questions and methods. We propose that stakeholders and researchers can fruitfully engage directly in discussions of research, in ways that benefit both research and practice

Affective Medicine: a review of Affective Computing efforts in Medical Informatics

Background: Affective computing (AC) is concerned with emotional interactions performed with and through computers. It is defined as “computing that relates to, arises from, or deliberately influences emotions”. AC enables investigation and understanding of the relation between human emotions and health as well as application of assistive and useful technologies in the medical domain. Objectives: 1) To review the general state of the art in AC and its applications in medicine, and 2) to establish synergies between the research communities of AC and medical informatics. Methods: Aspects related to the human affective state as a determinant of the human health are discussed, coupled with an illustration of significant AC research and related literature output. Moreover, affective communication channels are described and their range of application fields is explored through illustrative examples. Results: The presented conferences, European research projects and research publications illustrate the recent increase of interest in the AC area by the medical community. Tele-home healthcare, AmI, ubiquitous monitoring, e-learning and virtual communities with emotionally expressive characters for elderly or impaired people are few areas where the potential of AC has been realized and applications have emerged. Conclusions: A number of gaps can potentially be overcome through the synergy of AC and medical informatics. The application of AC technologies parallels the advancement of the existing state of the art and the introduction of new methods. The amount of work and projects reviewed in this paper witness an ambitious and optimistic synergetic future of the affective medicine field

XR, music and neurodiversity: design and application of new mixed reality technologies that facilitate musical intervention for children with autism spectrum conditions

This thesis, accompanied by the practice outputs,investigates sensory integration, social interaction and creativity through a newly developed VR-musical interface designed exclusively for children with a high-functioning autism spectrum condition (ASC).The results aim to contribute to the limited expanse of literature and research surrounding Virtual Reality (VR) musical interventions and Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) designed to support individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions. The author has developed bespoke hardware, software and a new methodology to conduct field investigations. These outputs include a Virtual Immersive Musical Reality Intervention (ViMRI) protocol, a Supplemental Personalised, immersive Musical Experience(SPiME) programme, the Assisted Real-time Three-dimensional Immersive Musical Intervention System’ (ARTIMIS) and a bespoke (and fully configurable) ‘Creative immersive interactive Musical Software’ application (CiiMS). The outputs are each implemented within a series of institutional investigations of 18 autistic child participants. Four groups are evaluated using newly developed virtual assessment and scoring mechanisms devised exclusively from long-established rating scales. Key quantitative indicators from the datasets demonstrate consistent findings and significant improvements for individual preferences (likes), fear reduction efficacy, and social interaction. Six individual case studies present positive qualitative results demonstrating improved decision-making and sensorimotor processing. The preliminary research trials further indicate that using this virtual-reality music technology system and newly developed protocols produces notable improvements for participants with an ASC. More significantly, there is evidence that the supplemental technology facilitates a reduction in psychological anxiety and improvements in dexterity. The virtual music composition and improvisation system presented here require further extensive testing in different spheres for proof of concept