Newcastle University's Blue Room is being used to enable people with autism to experience the thing that terrifies them in a safe environment Experiences include crossing a bridge and talking to a shop assistant Using the technology, eight out of nine children were able to tackle the situation they feared and four were cured of their phobias completely As well as the room with screens, relaxation techniques and guidance from a psychologist were used in the treatment
By Sarah Griffiths
Published: 13:16 EST, 2 July 2014 | Updated: 15:42 EST, 2 July 2014
You may think that virtual reality is only used for playing video games
But the technology is now helping people with autism overcome crippling phobias and allow them to live more normal lives, researchers have found.
A virtual reality room is being used to enable people to experience the thing that terrifies them the most in a safe environment.
Using the technology, eight out of nine children were able to tackle the situation they feared.
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A virtual reality room (pictured) is being used to enable people with autism to experience the thing that terrifies them in a safe environment. Using the technology, eight out of nine children were able to tackle the situation they feared
Newcastle University said that four of the children taking part were found to have totally overcome their phobia.
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Virtual reality room helping people with autism overcome crippling phobias