Complicated Kids Virtual Reality and Autism with Vijay Ravindran
Jul 29, 2025
Vijay Ravindran, an engineer and autism dad, is the founder of Floreo, which leverages virtual reality to teach essential skills to autistic children. He discusses how immersive VR experiences can enhance social and safety skills in a controlled environment. The conversation highlights innovative VR lessons designed for various challenges, showcasing impactful case studies. Vijay also addresses the criticisms around technology in autism care and emphasizes the importance of community support for parents navigating these complexities.
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Son's VR Play Sparks Innovation
- Vijay Ravindran's son engaged in virtual reality in 2015 and then started pretend playing based on VR scenes related to therapy.
- This inspired Vijay to develop VR as a medium to teach social and communication skills to autistic kids.
VR Enhances Skill Retention
- VR's full 3D immersion enhances learning and supports skill retention and real-world generalization.
- These immersive repetitions help kids internalize and apply skills more effectively than 2D or real-world distractions.
VR Filters Distractions for Learning
- VR filters out real-world sensory distractions that often derail therapy sessions for autistic kids.
- It enables controlled environments with adjustable distractions to carefully scaffold learning from simple to complex.