Improving procedural skills for autistic adults in a 3D virtual world through embodied hands-on learning

The study aimed to help adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) develop procedural, social, and communication skills by integrating two elements, i.e. procedural tasks and authentic contexts. A two-stage design-based research method was adopted to cyclically confirm and evaluate the functions of a 3D virtual Kanner Support Center in Second Life to achieve this aim. The real-world Kanner Support Center is a training and support center set up by the Kanner Foundation of Taiwan. Nine autistic adults from the Kanner center participated in the preliminary study, with three involved in the first stage (material development) and six in the second stage (training). Each participant learned to control and move their avatars around in the 3D virtual center space. They also completed the procedural tasks of welcoming and serving customers there. The procedural tasks were pre–and post-tested, and the results indicate that autistic adults successfully learned procedural skills by self-directed practicing in the virtual center. The findings of this study can be used as a reference for ASD-related research and the design of VR environments for ASD learners.