Dr Thusha Rajendran from Heriot-Watt University, will present a talk "Robots, Virtual Environments and Developmental Disorders: Technology Advancement Needs Neurodiversity" on Thursday June 29 from 12:00-14:00 in Paterson's Land 1.19, at the Moray House School of Education (EH8 8AQ)
SIGN UP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/robots-virtual-environments-and-developmental-disorders-technology-advancement-needs-neurodiversity-tickets-35230125253 (free, open, and everyone welcome!)
This talk makes the argument that computer science needs to take a developmental psychopathological approach, to create better technologies for all of us and that developmental conditions are not 'diseases' to be cured, but differences to be understood. Dr. Rajendran will look at how computer-mediated role-play has been used to investigate social vulnerability in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and maltreated treated children; how virtual environments have been used to understand decision-making in ASD; how virtual characters can be used to develop social interactions in the children with ASD; how virtual environments can be used to assist people with special needs in vocational training - and how robots are being used to help adults with ASD in the workplace. He will argue how the entire design process is enhanced by designing for people with developmental conditions.