WHO WE ARE –
At Autism Animated, we are an inclusive community of autistic people, their caretakers, relatives, therapists, researchers and advocates of all ages who are coming together to share friendship, articles, resources, blogs, personal experiences, and discussion. The site was launched by Gary Jesch, the founder of Invirtua, in 2015.
HOW WE BEGAN -
Gary Jesch comes to the world of healthcare as an artist seeking to make a difference in the lives of those on the autism spectrum. During his 20 years as a professional and pioneer in performance animation, he always marveled at how much both he and children love to make cartoon characters speak in real time.
During his career, he came across the work of Dr. Rosalind Picard, a researcher at MIT’s Media Lab. She was investigating how simple things like facial expressions and body language are easier for autistic children to understand if they can be modeled with virtual characters. He saw his work dove-tailing with her studies and vowed to bring his technology to help parents of those on the spectrum..
In July 2014, he introduced his first 3D Digital Puppeteer ™ system at the Autism Society’s annual conference to the amazement of therapists and parents. He began assembling an Advisory Board, business partners and a team of dedicated volunteers to get live animation into the hands of parents, autism treatment centers and researchers around the US.
OUR GOAL -
Autism Animated is a community intended to empower social growth, enable improved communication of scientific, therapeutic and personal accomplishments, facilitate new relationships, create an improved understanding of autism and resources available, and enhance connectivity within our community. Above all, we are working so that autistic people are nurtured in ways that help them rise to their greatest expressions of themselves.
You are important. By sharing your experiences, knowledge, opinions, joys, hopes and challenges, we hope to build friendships and have some animated discussions. Welcome to our community.
-- The Invirtua Family
Visit our website at Invirtua.com to learn more about Avatar Adventures.
