Monika Fuchs-Brantl
Teacher
Hospital School Vienna
For many years, Monika Fuchs-Brantl has been facilitating the learning of children with special health needs, at the Hospital School of Vienna. To this end, she is currently researching the interplay between sensory integration and VR, with the goal of identifying strategies for safe VR application.
The immersion effect in VR is associated with disembodiment, when one is transported out of one’s own body perception, into the virtual environment; this effect offers opportunities, but also risks. Disembodiment during immersion, when reality is lost, affects measurable changes in the brain’s cortex, and may thus be especially challenging for children’s developing brains. These perceptual disruptions during VR application with children urgently call for the development of comprehensive guidelines and expertise. Clear rules for VR application, mitigation strategies, and competent teachers to facilitate, are required for the healthy/safe use of VR technology. Monika wants to focus attention on the importance of body senses for perception and sensory integration when using and experiencing VR.
