In 2019, Prior's Court began exploring using Virtual Reality as a complementary tool to our existing multi-disciplinary approach in supporting autistic young people with complex needs.

Five years on, Virtual Reality is still a part of our teaching approach within our Computing sessions.

These are the areas we focus on:

Social Skills:

• Social Interaction: young people can practice interacting with others or even with pets, in a safe virtual space. They can learn how to make friends and talk in different social situations.
• Emotion Recognition: In VR, young people can learn to recognise and understand different facial expressions and emotions. This helps them connect better with other people  

Daily Living Skills:

• Task Training: VR helps young people practise daily activities like crossing the street, shopping, or visiting the dentist. This helps them feel more confident and prepared for real-life situations.
• Transitions and Changes: We use VR to show young people what it's like to move to a new school or a new house. This helps them get used to changes in their environment.

Emotional Regulation:

• Relaxation Techniques: In VR, we teach young people ways to relax and manage their stress. They learn breathing exercises and other calming techniques.

Motor Skills Development:

• Fine and Gross Motor Skills: Virtual Reality activities help improve hand-eye coordination and overall movement. These activities help students become more coordinated and controlled in their movements.

Creativity:

• Imaginative Play: VR lets young people explore and play creatively in a structured environment. They can engage in role-playing and use their imaginations.

Academic and Vocational Training:

• Vocational Areas: VR supports learning and explore the environments of our different vocational areas. For example:
  • Food Tech and Bakery: Young people can learn and practice tasks in a bakery.
  • Customer service: VR can show young people how to handle customer service situations.
  • Horticulture and Animal Care: Young people learn about taking care of plants and animals
  • Housekeeping: VR helps students practice housekeeping tasks.

Read more about our approach to learning