Using virtual reality, Finland’s ‘Digitality as Resource for Families’ project explored digital tools as means for social services to further support at-risk youth and families. The ESF-funded project explored opportunities provided by virtual reality to rehabilitate persons who have some form or degree of autism through the development of a cause-and-effect adventure game. The game enabled children with autism spectrum disorders to better understand how to interact with fellow students and teachers, and gave social workers the opportunity to build a rapport with students who were experiencing problems in the classroom.

Social services often face challenges providing aid to vulnerable children.  Boys and girls facing behavioural issues, such as those related to autistic spectrum disorders, can find themselves without access to care when first attempts fail. The use of innovative tools and training can help to provide these young people a second chance to integrate into a classroom environment.

Hanna-Leena Huttunen, Advisor on digitalisation, Digitality as Resource for Families project, was vocal about how important innovation in social services is for both children and professionals, stating, ‘Rehabilitation services, as well as child protection services need new methods and tools for rehabilitation of children and young people on the neuro spectrum. […] By means of the game, young people demonstrating e.g. impulsiveness, aggression or other non-desirable behaviours learnt about the consequences of the different choices available to them. The game also made the interaction between the person and the instructor easier.’

The project also gave social work professionals the opportunity to strengthen their digital competences, and to widen their use of digital tools in care.  Data gathered as part of project work was also used to assess the impacts of these services in the future, supporting good practices and collaboration across regional social work agencies.

As a result of the project, care professionals’ knowledge digital tools was strengthened, and they were better able to apply these technologies in their work. More importantly, the accessibility, usability, and quality of digital social services for at-risk young people improved, often helping them re-integrate into education.