Innovative Usage Of Virtual Worlds - A Challenge

This is a challenge to the innovative  individual, with community betterment in mind.

Our Virtual World is full of people that are could use an environment designed to address special needs.

After successful projects using the Virtual Worlds to systematically reduce tension and circumstantial fears through progressive exposures, more ideas began to surface about SL and other world's functionality as a tool to help overcome a variety of obstacles that might prevent one from feeling self confidence, and more.

The next project, which is still ongoing involves using SL to recreate dream environments to assist dreamers in capturing and obtaining recall of forgotten symbolism in dreams.

Here are some other ideas that I had, that are ways one  could use a Virtual World as a positive force to improve RL self concept, and actual RL day to day functioning in the cases of folks with cognitive "differences".

I invite anyone with time and the focus to work on these projects to help both themselves and others. I can not implement them all, there just is not enough time in the day!

Daily Life Skills Training

Using carefully set up simulations of a patient's  living quarters, or of a participant's home, the line of daily living tasks can be set out in the fashion, of a "course".

using a notecard reminder, the participant can go through the steps of daily preparation using scripted devices that announce their completion when properly used. 

The program starts at "wakeup" where the participant can get out of bed, and then can practice his morning routine in correct order. 

An example would be:

1-shut alarm

2- slippers

3-coffee made-

4- teeth brushed

5- shaved

6-showered

7-dressed

8- food eaten

9- house cleaned

10- ready for day

These tasks of course being altered and adjusted to fit the lifestyles and needs of each individual participant.

Social skills

Using practiced socially accepted conversation techniques, the socially awkward person can go on monitored social outings or "dates".

They meetings can center around greeting, acceptable conversation. what to do when a sensitive topic comes up, and how to smoothly end the visit, and say goodbye.

Survival skills

Using the viewer, participants can practice in correct evacuation techniques, to leave a location that may have an emergency.

Fire escape plans as well as bomb shelter practice plans can be implemented using your virtual world of choice. Escape routes can be memorized using the viewer's unique colorful screen displays.

A variety of emergency situations with limited solutions are easily designed and can then be provided either in the form of  a puzzle-like maze, or as a practiced routine.

I will leave the other potential applications to your imagination. I can not offer enough encouragement for as many individuals to get involved with these creative uses for a Virtual World as possible!