Floreo’s VR Technology: Helping to Reinforce Learning at Chileda

Chileda’s recent partnership with Floreo is more than just a technological upgrade; it’s a revolutionary step towards safer, more effective learning for individuals with cognitive and behavioral challenges that include autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Floreo’s cutting-edge application leverages virtual reality (VR) to teach evidence-based social and communication skills, by creating immersive VR experiences. This technology provides a safe and controlled environment where Chileda students can practice challenging skills with the support of a provider, educator, or caregiver. 

The Power of Immersive Learning 

Imagine teaching the skill of crossing the street safely. For individuals with limited safety skills, this can be hazardous in real-world settings. Floreo addresses this by simulating such scenarios in a controlled VR environment, allowing individuals to practice until they are ready to apply these skills in real life. This approach not only enhances learning but also ensures safety by helping to reduce such behaviors as elopement.  

Floreo offers a variety of virtual worlds tailored to different skills, ages, abilities, and behavioral challenges. The application features levels ranging from beginner to expert, enabling learners to “level-up” as they acquire more skills. For instance, one of the learning worlds focuses on interactions with law enforcement, with adjustable difficulty levels to match the learner’s progress. This flexibility makes Floreo a versatile tool for multidisciplinary therapy, fostering development in language, social communication, emotional regulation, and adaptive life skills. 

Why Floreo at Chileda? 

Sometimes, our staff face unique challenges in teaching certain real-life skills to our students, often due to limitations in access to community settings. Integrating Floreo offers opportunities to increase the number of real-life skills taught while ensuring the safety of students, staff, and the wider community. Research has shown that VR can be particularly effective for children with ASD in supporting social skills acquisition (Frolli et al., 2022) 

For example, practicing encounters with law enforcement can be unsafe for individuals with a history of physical aggression. However, through VR, these interactions can be safely simulated with a law enforcement “avatar.” This not only prepares the individuals for real-world scenarios but also significantly reduces the risk associated with such training. VR interventions have demonstrated faster and more stable acquisition of social skills compared to traditional methods (Frolli et al., 2022) 

Real-World Impact 

Testimonials from parents, schools, and organizations highlight the effectiveness of Floreo. They report a decrease in challenging behaviors as individuals discover new ways of interacting with the world. As Kiara Rivera, Education Behavior Specialist puts it “For Chileda students, this means opening up a whole new world of life experiences all within the safety of our facility. The Chileda staff are genuinely excited about the adoption of this technology.” 

For more information on how Floreo works and its impact, visit Floreo’s official website: https://floreovr.com/ 

References: 

Frolli, A., Savarese, G., Di Carmine, F., Bosco, A., Saviano, E., Rega, A., Carotenuto, M., & Ricci, M. C. (2022). Children on the autism spectrum and the use of virtual reality for supporting social skills. Children (Basel), 9(2), 181. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9020181 

Floreo | Research-based Virtual Reality Therapy for the Neurodiverse. (n.d.). Floreo. https://floreovr.com/ 

Kiara Rivera has been a dedicated member of Chileda for three years. She began her journey as a Direct Support Professional in 2022 and advanced to the role of an Education Behavior Specialist in 2023. Kiara is now pursuing her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. Her expertise and commitment to supporting individuals with behavioral and cognitive needs and passion for effectively utilizing technology for learning make her an integral part of the Chileda Behavioral team.  

*The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or professional advice. Chileda, Inc. strives for accuracy but is not responsible for errors or omissions. Chileda Inc. disclaims any liability for any losses or damages arising from the use of this blog site.