The Sights and Sounds of too much of Everything...the VR Experience
There’s a saying that goes something like this, “Don’t worry about walking a mile in my shoes, just try one day thinking in my head.”
These words came to mind as I watched this 360° virtual reality video. I watched it a second time – I had to because the video hit too close to home.
My son was born premature with sensory issues that required years of occupational therapy. At age 5, he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. I watched the video again and then called my son over to watch it with me.
He turned 13 just a few weeks ago and with the help of outstanding speech and occupational therapists, he’s come such a long way from a premature baby with extreme sensitivity to sound and light.
He’s learned how to navigate his way through events that affect his senses that most people (“nuerotypicals”) just aren’t fazed by in their daily life. And he's starting to understand that his condition is actually a gift because he looks at the world differently. He's an out of the box thinker and I can see that things are finally starting to align for him and I know he's on his way to discover and create amazing things.
I wanted to see his reactions to what he was watching and get his opinions about this 360° VR experience. About 20 seconds into the video, he tells me that the flickering lights and the sound of heels clicking are still triggers for him but that everything else seems too exaggerated. His response reminded me that Autism is a wide spectrum of unique challenges and needs.
So while it’s virtually impossible to replicate the exact experience of stress and anxiety felt by someone on the autism spectrum, I believe there is tremendous value in an immersive learning experience where the viewer can gain a deeper understanding by virtually stepping into someone else’s shoes. An immersive experience like this gives the viewer enough perspective to gain empathy and understanding for those on the autism spectrum. That kind of connection is priceless.
And with the advancements of technology in education, only time will tell if a viewer might one day be able to virtually think in someone else’s head. Now that would be the ultimate learning experience platform but it does open up Pandora's portal.
Hum…makes me think about that film, Total Recall.