The Effect of Global Illumination on Presence in a Virtual Environment for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Presence, or the feeling of being there, has been attributed as a driving force for the effectiveness of virtual environment (VE)-based interventions for treating those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Therefore, this research sought to measure the extent to which visual realism can induce the presence of those with ASD within a VE intervention, enumerate the specific characteristics of rendering that promote the sense of presence and the ability to generalize, and statistically verify enhanced outcomes from using these techniques. A between-group study with 24 individuals with ASD, ranging between ages of 9-17, utilized a quantitative questionnaire. Illumination realism was found to have a positive effect on the presence felt by these individuals. This presence has been found to correlate with the ability to generalize. This work provides empirical evidence supporting the claim that illumination realism increases the presence felt by users with ASD when interacting with VE-based intervention.