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Teacher uses SWTOR to connect with autistic student
Through Reddit comes one of those truly touching stories that show us just how video games can and do make a difference for the better in the real world. Special Ed teacher Lyobel was having difficulties connecting with an autistic student. After learning that the student was into Star Wars and Star Wars: The Old Republic, she went to Reddit to ask for help in mastering the lingo and game. With her new-found knowledge, Lyobel met her student in SWTOR and found that he opened up through this medium: "This was after all a kid who for the last six months hadn't talked to anyone except over a computer, hadn't left the room except for food and toilet for the same amount of time, and had kicked out and ignored the last teacher to enter his domain. But aha! He is PvPing! And by the looks of it, he is getting his ass kicked. 'Get out of line of sight!' I shout, smoothly positioning myself next to him so I can see better. It looks slightly humorous while he runs around a rock, and when he dies I proclaim a masterful 'stupid smugglers!' Now, I'm not entirely sure if it was a smuggler that killed him, but the ice is broken, and as he runs back for revenge he starts telling me about how long he played, why he is on the dark side, and how the server is PvP-wise. Seriously! We didn't shut up! When the PvP was over, he handed in a few quests, logged out, and focused on my tasks. I hadn't brought much, to keep the first time short and sweet, but when that was done we talked about dogs, games, and made a plan for our next lesson." BioWare caught wind of this story and sent both the teacher and student posters signed by the dev team. [Thanks to Soeren for the tip!]
Miami zoo orangutans use iPads to communicate
iPads are everywhere, even in the orangutan cages at Miami's Jungle Island. As reported by Fox News, the Florida zoo is experimenting with iPads and using them to communicate with their apes. The apes are using a graphics-rich app designed to communicate with autistic children. Not surprisingly, it's the younger apes that are most adept at picking up the iPad, while the older ones just ignore it. Linda Jacobs, who oversees the iPad project, is excited by the possibility of letting other people communicate with the zoo's orangutans, Currently, only those trained in the ape's sign language can effectively communicate with the animals. Now that the orangutans are armed with iPads, they can talk to untrained personnel and maybe even interact with park visitors.
Dundee student designs Passive Play toy cube to stimulate parent interaction with autistic children
A University of Dundee scholar has been working on a wonderful tool that aims to evoke the emotional connection between children with autism and their parents. While we've seen novelties like the My Keepon in the past, any addition to the cause is always a pleasant one, and the Passive Play's no exception. The concept comes in the form of an interactive toy cube for the kid (pictured above), which pairs up with an iOS app and allows the parent to see any interaction the little one is having with the device. Passive Play's creator, Tom Kirkman, says his inspiration comes from "wanting to learn more about autism," and in case you happen to be in the UK, he'll be showing off the project at Dundee University later this month. For all those details, be sure to check out the PR after the break.
