"Craig's House" pilot launched
The launch of a pilot program for autistic children was hosted by the Learning Technologies Center (LTC) on September 20, 2006.
The newly created DVD “Craig’s House” is set in a colorful, interactive, virtual environment to teach basic life skills to individuals diagnosed with autism. It was developed by Tucson High Magnet School senior Margo Johnson during her summer internship at the LTC.
Johnson was inspired to create learning tools for children with autism because her 11-year- old sister was diagnosed with the disorder.
“I observed her struggling daily with tasks other children found easy: for example, tying shoelaces, buttoning pants and washing hands,” Johnson said. “I figured there must be some way to teach these skills to children like my sister to make everyday functioning a little easier.
Margo Johnson taping Craig's House
“After reviewing large amounts of research concerning teaching techniques for autism, I came to the conclusion that the most logical way to teach daily life skills to individuals with autism would involve interactive video modeling,” she said.
“Research suggested the power of the one-on-one instruction a computer could offer, as well as the compelling stimuli, including graphics and music.”
“Craig’s House,” featuring her brother, is the second program Johnson has created with him as the actor. "Let's Learn to Tie Our Shoelaces" addresses the same problem of teaching autistic people basic life skills.
Streaming video of Margo's presentation will eventually be provided by LTC and the Office of Student Computing Resources.
For more information on "Craig's House", check out Margo's project Web page.
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