Partner Projects
Third Eye NeuroTech’s Blue Room Treatment
Helping young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) overcome situation-specific anxiety with virtual reality
We’re delighted to be working alongside Third Eye NeuroTech in the promotion of their ‘Blue Room’ technology, which helps young people with ASD overcome situation-specific anxiety.
This innovative treatment was designed in conjunction with Newcastle University and is currently being offered by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, which delivers the services via its multidisciplinary, specialist ASD team.
Now we’re working to help Third Eye NeuroTech in their bid to get the treatment rolled out to all UK NHS Trusts.
What is the treatment?
The Blue Room Virtual Reality Treatment is a novel and safe treatment for situation-specific anxiety and fears/phobias in 7–17-year-olds with ASD and average ability. Treatment comprises four sessions of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy within a personalised immersive virtual reality environment, equipping young people to manage their anxiety.
During treatment, the young person sits inside the ‘Blue Room’ with a therapist. Projected images on the walls, floor and ceiling of the Blue Room are made to replicate the young person’s individual situation specific anxiety – for example, a specific home, school or community-based situation that can be visually represented and causes them anxiety. The health professional works with the young person on cognitive and behavioural strategies that are likely to be helpful in dealing with their anxiety.
Parents/carers are able to watch and listen from another room, so they learn about the strategies too and see the therapist implement these.
The treatment has been shown to:
- Be acceptable for most young people with ASD and their families
- Lead to improvements in situation specific anxiety, phobias and fears for mostchildren, meaning real life functional improvements for activities that were previously not possible
- Have a lasting effect – from the research and clinical information available atpresent, most children who benefit continue to do so after 12 months
Why is this treatment important?
- 34% of children on the autism spectrum say that the worst thing about being at school is being picked on¹
- 63% of children on the autism spectrum are not in the kind of school their parents believe would best support them².
- 17% of autistic children have been suspended from school; 48% of these had been suspended three or more times; 4% had been expelled from one or more schools³.
- 70% of autistic adults say that they are not getting the help they need from social services. Seventy per cent of autistic adults also told us that with more support they would feel less isolated4
- At least one in three autistic adults are experiencing severe mental health difficulties due to a lack of support5
- Only 16% of autistic adults in the UK are in full-time paid employment, and only 32% are in some kind of paid work6
- Only 10% of autistic adults receive employment support but 53% say they want it7
2Reid, B. (2011). Great Expectations. London: The National Autistic Society, p18
3Reid, B. (2011). Great Expectations. London: The National Autistic Society, p8
4Bancroft et al (2012). The Way We Are: Autism in 2012. London: The National Autistic Society
5Rosenblatt, M (2008). I Exist: the message from adults with autism in England. London: The National Autistic Society, p3
6The National Autistic Society (2016). The autism employment gap: Too Much Information in the workplace. p5
7Bancroft et al (2012). The Way We Are: Autism in 2012. London: The National Autistic Society
Working together to provide sustainable systems of support
We’re always on the lookout to add value to young people and their self-development and Third Eye are aligned with the Passion Project’s vision of supporting innovation to help individuals achieve. We’re helping them secure the funding it needs for a national rollout with the help of our partner network. Together we want to change and evidence its impact on the individuals it treats and society at large. We believe that by having a long-lasting effect on young people’s lives we can create sustainable impact.
