PFI-TT: Creation of an augmented-reality platform for treatment of phobias/anxiety in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this PFI project will be in enabling future technology-based therapies for Specific Phobia (SP) in both the general population and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Nearly 9% of US population meets criteria for SP and very few seek treatment. Use of augmented reality (AR) could, in the future, reduce barriers to seeking treatment and also improve the health provider's ability to effectively and efficiently deliver evidence-based therapy. Costs of delivering 'minimally adequate treatment' for SP can range from $600-$900 per patient and can be much higher for payers, patients, and health providers. Fortunately, augmented reality would allow the advantages of providing therapy in a virtual environment with lower costs and greater flexibility of options for the healthcare provider.The proposed project is an AR platform that allows individuals with ASD as well as those within the general population to overcome debilitating fears characteristic of SP. Despite the availability of highly-effective treatments, the majority of individuals experiencing debilitating fears characterizing SP will never receive treatment, particularly those with ASD. The AR platform created through this grant will, in the future, reduce the high rejection rate of traditional exposure therapy as well as encourage individuals to seek treatment who would not have done so before. Adaptive learning and computer vision technologies will be used to enhance the efficacy and usability of the AR platform. The project will involve development of a prototype platform allowing individuals to observe a computer generated phobic stimuli through an AR device.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.