Thesis Topic 1: The correlation between interactive interfaces and the behavioral development of special needs individuals.

I have worked in the field of academics for over twenty years. During that time, I have had the opportunity to assist in developing and teaching interactive multimedia. Specifically my duties as a multimedia developer allow me to create interactive learning objects, reusable components that can be useful for instruction across many topics. As a full instructor and volunteer, I have encountered and worked with special needs students, who have had social and behavioral issues. This has inspired me to develop an interest in creating interactive interfaces to assist in helping special need individuals. Taking the mechanics of games and using creative interfaces that engage special needs users to solve problems or obtain goals, is a useful tool to promote positive changes in their behavior and communication skills. I will explore this topic by researching interfaces that address the behavioral development of those with Autism and related disorders, and their learning obstacles and challenges. The purpose of the research is to test to see if gaming techniques and an engaging interfaces will be an effective learning tool for patients with Autism.

An application prototype will be created to test this theory. This application will use stimulus equivalence and fading to teach sight words to individuals with Autism and related disorders. Some design obstacles include the need to consider sensory related dysfunction triggers such as overly distracting sounds, bright colors, and blinking lights. In addition, to be considered is the device enabling self-stimulatory behaviors, repetitive behaviors, and continuous manipulation of the interface in order to obtain desired forms of sensory input.

Hello, my name is Anthony, but I go by Tony. I live in Charleston South Carolina. I am full-time instructor at a two year technical college.Prior to becoming a full-time instructor, I was an engineer for distance learning at the college. In position, I created multimedia, for instructors to use in traditional and online courses. I have an Associates in Computer Science, Bachelor in Fine Arts in Visual Communication and I am seeking a MFA in Interactive Design / Game Development. I was born and raised in New York City, and decided to move south because of the snow. My love for the arts started in New York City. Living in the city, allowed me to participate in many cultural events. My present place of residency Charleston SC, is not as big as New York City, but it has its historical and cultural values. In Charleston, You’ll find many buildings and homes dating back to the 1700s. This area also played a major role in the American Revolution and Civil War.

But, enough with talking about the area that I live in, my inspiration comes from observing art and technology. My goal is to create art and communicate it through technology. I would like to continue teaching part-time and be a part of team that creates innovative educational mobile and desktop applications.