Designing a Mixed Reality Game Experience to foster Social Initiation in Children with Autism

Individuals affected by autism often experience difficulties with social interaction and social communication, which can already be observed at a young age. These difficulties may lead to social fragmentation and negatively impact the individual’s overall quality of life. To support children with autism in learning about social initiation, researchers have been dedicating efforts to develop various intervention techniques. A promising line of research was found in the usage of game-based technology-enhanced interventions facilitating physical embodiment.

Throughout his talk Marc will discuss his experiences — good and bad — with designing and developing such mixed reality game experiences. Marc will touch on how to approach working in a reality-virtuality continuum, the impacts of embodied cognition and virtual subjectiveness, before going deeper into the particularities of autism and designing for users with autism.