Disaster Awareness Simulation for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Android Virtual Reality

The study serves as a technological advancement for learning, utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) and a new experience for children, adolescents, and adults especially with autism disorder. Safety and preparedness are major concerns regarding disasters and calamities. In 2014, 324 natural disasters were registered and 140.8 million people became victims worldwide. The study also wants to catch the attention of the children with autism using VR, immersing them inside the VR world teaching them to be prepared and ready against calamities and disasters. The intention of the study is to create an immersive simulation of different events about disasters to raise awareness of these children towards disaster and calamity. It consists of series of decision making, giving them a choice of what is right and what is wrong. The proponents created simulation in a portable way, utilizing ICT as learning material to expand the social and cognitive development of the children with ASD in emergencies and disaster situation. The system was tested and evaluated by the different professionals and experts related to the study that obtained overall evaluation of 4.39 which was highly acceptable to the respondents. Furthermore, it is well recommended to deploy the system to the school of special children to experience a good tool to educate the children with ASD. Lastly, it should be used and tested as training material for fast responses to any disaster, calamity and emergency situation.