Using Virtual Reality Technology to Explore the Inner Perceptual World of Autism, Solus/Sublime?

Overview and Rationale: NB: Correct terms for describing the conditions formally
called Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are controversial. Here, "autism" is
shorthand for ASD, covering also Asperger's Syndrome/Disorder, Childhood
Autism/Autistic Disorder and PDD-NOS. Autism is a common neuro-developmental
condition directly affecting at least 1% of the UK population (Baird et al, 2006;
Brugha et al, 2013). In recent years it has become clear that although the social
difficulties which traditionally characterized autism are important, there are sensory
features of this condition which profoundly affect everyday life and may also have
aetiological significance (Pellicano & Burr, 2012). These comprise a combination of
hyper-(or over)sensitivity and hypo-(or under)sensitivity to everyday sensory
stimulation, combined with what is known as "sensory seeking" behaviour, where
particular types of sensory stimulation are sought after. Examples are extreme
difficulties in coping with sudden noises or strong smells, unresponsiveness to large
temperature changes and "self-stimulatory" behaviour like repetitive hand-flapping
(Robertson & Simmons, 2013). Evidence for these sensory features is now so strong
that they are included as part of the latest diagnostic criteria (APA, 2013).
The reports of autistic individuals make clear that their perception is qualitatively
different from that of neurotypicals (Grandin, 2008; Fleischmann, 2012). Aspects of
autistic perception commonly reported are a "fragmented world", where the world
seems to consist of isolated objects rather than the coherent whole that
neurotypicals perceive, and "sensory overload" where an accumulation of everyday
sensory stimulation becomes overwhelming and can lead to panic attacks (Frith,
2003; Robertson & Simmons, 2015). A key difficulty is how to understand the true
nature of perception in autism. Most data come from indirect reports, usually from
caregiver questionnaires reporting their child's reactions to sensory stimulation
(Glod et al, 2015). There are several vivid descriptions from individuals able to report
their experiences verbally or otherwise (Grandin, 2006;
http://carlysvoice.com/home/aboutcarly/), but these lack scientific rigour and may
have been manipulated by editors and co-authors. A few studies (e.g. Smith & Sharp,
2013; Robertson & Simmons, 2015) have explored autistic sensory experience using
qualitative techniques like structured interviews and focus groups, but they are
limited by the ability of autistic individuals to articulate their experiences accurately.
Autistic perception has been investigated by direct measurement using the
techniques of perceptual psychophysics in lab-based experiments. However, there
has been little success in matching the results of these experiments with the real-life
perceptual experiences of autistics, possibly due to a lack of ecological validity (see
Simmons et al, 2009; Haeson et al, 2010). To address these problems we will explore
how to articulate perceptual experience using Virtual Reality (VR) technology.