Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

SIMmersion’s Conversation Training Helps People with Autism Build Key Social Skills and Succeed on Job Interviews
  • USA - English


News provided by

SIMmersion

Apr 02, 2014, 03:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

World Autism Awareness Day -- from Autism Speaks
World Autism Awareness Day -- from Autism Speaks

Columbia, MD (PRWEB) April 02, 2014 -- This year, World Autism Awareness Day comes just a week after new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased to 1 in 68 children in the United States.

“Behind each of these numbers is a person living with autism,” says Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks. “We need a comprehensive strategy… to address our community’s needs across the lifespan.”

SIMmersion's technology is engaging for individuals with ASD and can drive meaningful improvements in social skills.

Post this

SIMmersion has joined the effort to support the autism community with targeted virtual conversation training applications designed to boost key social skills for people with ASD. Research on Autism Social Conversation Training with Sam Martin and Job Interview Training with Molly Porter show that SIMmersion’s technology is engaging for individuals with ASD and can drive meaningful improvements in social skills.

“Our systems are ideal for addressing the needs of people with autism,” explains Dale Olsen, Ph.D., President of SIMmersion. The company’s virtual characters are represented by video of actors, maximizing realism and relevance to authentic social situations. Users have a wide array of choices for what to say at any time and how to say it, capturing nuances of conversation. The technology enables users to have a realistic social encounter and learn from any errors without the anxiety of real-world consequences. Immediate feedback on every choice is provided by the character’s dialogue and an on-screen coach, so no teachable moments are missed.

Two of SIMmersion’s products, developed with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), are specifically targeted to benefit users with ASD. Autism Social Conversation Training with Sam Martin, available for free on SIMmersion’s Training Center, lets users build conversation skills as they practice talking with a friendly stranger at a party. Job Interview Training with Molly Porter was designed to help individuals with serious mental illness like ASD navigate a particularly vital and stressful social encounter: the job interview.

In Autism Social Conversation Training, users practice skills instrumental to collaborative conversation like showing interest, asking relevant questions, and avoiding non sequiturs or social missteps. Drilling these skills in role-plays with a virtual character can help users learn to employ the skills in face-to-face conversations.

Adults and teens with ASD in a study from Catholic University found Autism Social Conversation Training engaging, easy to use, and helpful. They also considered the virtual character, Sam, to be realistic and personable. “I felt like I was talking to a real person,” said one participant. Developing comfort in casual social encounters helps people with ASD build the foundational social skills that can prepare them for success in more high-stakes interactions, like job interviews.

Research indicates that more than two-thirds of individuals with mental health concerns would like to work, but deficits in social skills can create barriers to obtaining work or retaining a job once acquired. Job Interview Training with Molly Porter helps users over that hurdle by allowing stress-free practice on a realistic conversation with Molly, a virtual interviewer. Users practice skills vital to interview success, like conveying dependability, demonstrating interest in the job, and sharing in a positive way. Users can also practice filling out a mock job application and fielding Molly’s personalized questions about their answers.

In research at Northwestern University, participants with ASD who trained on Job Interview Training with Molly Porter went on to perform significantly better in live interview role-plays than a control group, and reported higher levels of self-confidence in their interview skills. Early follow-up data suggests that users of the system are more than twice as likely to obtain real-world employment within 20 weeks than their peers who didn’t receive the training.

A public health crisis on the scale of ASD has no easy solutions. But this World Autism Awareness Day, SIMmersion is doing its part to shine a light on autism with training applications tailored for the needs and aspirations of people with ASD.

About SIMmersion

SIMmersion’s mission is to train communication skills faster and more effectively by combining the world’s most realistic simulated experiences with highly interactive training content and extensive user feedback. For more information, visit http://www.simmersion.com.

For unlimited free use of the Autism Social Conversation Training with Sam Martin, visit SIMmersion’s Training Center at http://www.simmersion.com/training.

For a free trial of Job Interview Training with Molly Porter, visit http://www.jobinterviewtraining.net.

Dale Olsen, SIMmersion, http://www.SIMmersion.com, +1 4432832504, [email protected]

Modal title

SIMmersion-- Immersive Simulations
SIMmersion-- Immersive Simulations
World Autism Awareness Day -- from Autism Speaks
World Autism Awareness Day -- from Autism Speaks
1 in 68 Children Diagnosed with Autism
1 in 68 Children Diagnosed with Autism
SIMmersion-- Immersive Simulations World Autism Awareness Day -- from Autism Speaks 1 in 68 Children Diagnosed with Autism

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.