Presenter

Mario Covarrubias, Politecnico di Milano

Description

Social Inclusion is an important element of well-being for young students with ASD and/or Intellectual Disability (ID). Previous studies have highlighted that social inclusion is facilitated through access to education and employment. Despite this, young students with ASD and/or ID have low rates of participation in these domains, after the high school. Research has also shown that Assistive Technology (VR/AR) shows great promise in increasing participation in education and employment. The main aim of The Haptic Eye project is to create an interdisciplinary, international network which will enhance social inclusion and empowerment of young students (19 to 24 years old) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Intellectual Disability (ID) using the Assistive Technology approach through the use of VR/AR applications the students receive training session regarding the use of specific devices (e.g. 3D printers, manual and CNC mills, manual and CNC lathes, etc.) in order to increase their manual skills.