Julia Merryman
ABSTRACT
Our research focuses on the use and design of virtual peers (life-sized, computer-animated children) as intervention and assessment tools for the social and communication skills of children with social skills deficits, such as autism. To best design a virtual peer that simulates human interaction, we observe and analyze the behaviors of both typically-developing children and children with autism as they play with peers. Later, we apply these behavioral characteristics to the behavioral repertoire of the virtual peers. This analysis identifies the key design attributes of a virtual peer that best elicits the social and communication skills we are interested in evaluating and addressing during the assessment and treatment procedures.
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