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Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421.sPubDate = "4/16/2008 11:31:50 PM GMT";
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Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421.appHeader = "<FONT SIZE=4><b>Virtual reality and autistic children<br><b></FONT><br>";
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Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i++] = new Array("","Introduction","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080416/080421-Frontieres-Autism-intro-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: virtual reality kid", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of Northwestern University", "273", "248", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i-1].body = "<FONT SIZE=3 color=#CC0000><b>Introduction</b></FONT><p>Sam, a gender-ambiguous virtual peer, is among the new generation of virtual reality tools developed by researchers to help teach safety and social skills to children with autism.<P ALIGN=RIGHT><i>&#8212; Bryn Nelson</i>";

Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i++] = new Array("","A bridge between two worlds","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080416/080421-Frontieres-Autism-1-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: Young girl with virtual peer", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of Justine Cassell/Northwestern University", "273", "319", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i-1].body = "<FONT SIZE=3 color=#CC0000><b>A bridge between two worlds</b></FONT><p>A young girl plays with a version of Sam, a virtual peer who guides children through the process of sharing toys and telling stories. Between them, a wooden castle bridges the real and virtual worlds.";

Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i++] = new Array("","A virtual playmate","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080416/080421-Frontieres-Autism-2-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: Children playing with dollhouse", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of Justine Cassell/Northwestern University", "273", "364", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i-1].body = "<FONT SIZE=3 color=#CC0000><b>A virtual playmate</b></FONT><p>A young girl plays with Sam while a second girl works Sam's behavioral controls, an exercise in learning which skills are most important when interacting with other kids. A group of autistic children are participating in similar research sessions at Northwestern University. ";

Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i++] = new Array("","Safely crossing the street","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080416/080421-Frontieres-Autism-3-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: Scene from virtual street crossing program ", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of Naomi Josman/University of Haifa", "258", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i-1].body = "<FONT SIZE=3 color=#CC0000><b>Safely crossing the street</b></FONT><p>This scene is from a virtual street crossing program used by researchers at the University of Haifa to improve traffic safety skills among children with autism. Children must guide the avatar across the divided crosswalk. The eventual reward? Safe passage to a Toys\"R\"Us store &#8212; and hopefully, improved independence back in the real world.";

Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i++] = new Array("","Learning to stay in the yard","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080416/080421-Frontieres-Autism-4-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: 'My Yard' software program", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of Dorothy Strickland/www.do2learn.com", "273", "385", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i-1].body = "<FONT SIZE=3 color=#CC0000><b>Learning to stay in the yard</b></FONT><p>This montage includes several scenes from the animated \"My Yard\" software program, in which Buddy the dog and a series of circus characters teach children to stay in their own yards while playing outside. ";

Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i++] = new Array("","Attraction to technology","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080416/080421-Frontieres-Autism-5-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: boy with computer", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Courtesy of Dorothy Strickland/www.do2learn.com", "200", "267", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
Tech_Frontiers_Autism_080421[i-1].body = "<FONT SIZE=3 color=#CC0000><b>Attraction to technology</b></FONT><p>A young boy with autism engages with a software program that uses animated characters to teach fire safety skills. Researchers have repeatedly noticed an attraction among autistic children for technology and virtual reality, an observation they hope will lead to more effective tech-driven learning methods.";

	// END editorial data