Article

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of virtual worlds by
people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular focus on the
virtual world Second Life. METHOD: Case study methodology was selected to explore
the experiences of Wolf, a participant with ASD, in Second Life. Wolf
participated in three in-depth interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a
content analysis to identify themes and sub-themes. RESULTS: Analysis identified
four main themes: social factors and communication, empowerment, virtual world
versus physical world, and social cues and body language. CONCLUSION: Anecdotally
Wolf's experiences suggest that people with ASD enjoy using a virtual world and
may feel more comfortable communicating in the virtual world context than the
physical world. Virtual worlds offer a venue for people with ASD to be a part of
a virtual society, lowers communication barriers experienced in the physical
world, and gives the participant a unique opportunity to create and maintain
friendships. Virtual worlds offer an arena for people with ASD to meet their
peers on equal terms, not being dependent on social cues, which in the physical
world can be a barrier for communication for this group. Further research in this
area is required.

Langue : ANGLAIS