Revista de Engenharia da Computação e Tecnologia da Informação

Virtual Reality for Combating Social Awkwardness in Special Needs

Sophia Rahaman, Zakia Ansari, Pooja Biswas, Sogra Bilal Memon

Social awkwardness remains one of the main factors which employers consider when hiring an employee. Current research shows that the percentage of employment for people with special needs is extremely low. One of the reasons identified by employers is these people lack social skills. Though people with special needs have proven to be good employees their inability to adapt to a change in social settings hinders their employment as these skills are highly important in the workplace. The people with special needs who are determined to acquire skills despite the challenges they may face are referred to the People Of Determination (POD). With focused training, these vital skills for the workplace can be enhanced.  An approach that is widely used for training in several industries, is also a blooming factor in the computing field, is the use of virtual reality for multiple therapeutic, recreational, educative purposes. Virtual reality providing a simulated environment that could be used for training people with special needs by exposing them which to a simulated version of the workplace they will be working at. This will help them overcome social awkwardness as they would become more comfortable with the workplace environment.