CHOP and Floreo Awarded $1.7M NIH Grant to Test Whether VR can Improve Police Safety in Individuals with ASD

The NIH recently awarded a $1.7 million-dollar grant to fund a study led by researchers at Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in partnership with tech startup Floreo Inc. to test immersive virtual reality (VR) as a tool to improve police safety in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

As youth on the autism spectrum transition to adulthood and gain increasing independence, their families often fret over their safety and their ability to respond in critical situations. These virtual reality-based interventions may help individuals on the autism spectrum to build social and community safety skills in adolescents and adults with ASD. Unlike other interventions, virtual reality gives children the opportunity to learn and build skills in close-to-real-life experiences which may not otherwise be available.

Read more about this work.