Developmental disorders (particularly autism spectrum disorders) are characterised by difficulties in sensory integration and a body image which differs from the normal, healthy one. In order to enable healthy people to experience and thus develop a deeper understanding of the different body image that people with developmental disorders possess the author is pursuing research into the simulation of sensory experiences common to developmental disorders. This study focuses on a particular sensory characteristic of developmental disorders where difficulty is experienced in locating the source of sound in an environment and the development of a device for simulating the sense of hearing experienced in such a disorder. Workshops for children were carried out using the developed device, with interviews indicating that the majority of participants experienced feelings of ambiguity in relation to their own senses. Such a feeling in one’s sensory boundaries is a phenomenon which is common in developmental disorder research. It was concluded that the device developed in this study allowed people to vicariously experience the senses of people with developmental disorders.

Presenter(s)

Taisuke Murakami,Aichi Sangyo University