When a friend mentioned Google SketchUp and the forum the U would be holding about it to Debbie Joplin, she downloaded the program right away. Her son Aaron, who is autistic, sat down that night and played with the 3-D modeling program. He had it figured out that night, she said, joking that she and her husband were the ones who had to learn how to use the program through the tutorial.
“The only thing he couldn’t figure out was the roof line,” Joplin said. “I was surprised how well he followed along. He’d rather figure out how to use the program by himself.”
he forum Saturday was packed with parents and educators hoping to learn more about SketchUp for the children with autism in their lives, said Cheryl Wright, a family and consumer studies professor and chairwoman of the department.
SketchUp can be a great tool for the autistic community, said Steve Gross, a designer for Universal Creative.
SketchUp uses visual cues to build 3-D objects. Many children with autism are able to pick up on it, as many of them are visually and spatially gifted, said Chris Cronin, co-manager for Project Spectrum and senior strategist for Google.
She hopes that Google and the U will team up to continue research as to why SketchUp is a great tool for children with autism, as there is not enough concrete evidence to support this theory, she said. The department will be sitting down early this week to discuss the possible future forums, workshops and research with Google SketchUp and children with autism, she said.
Wright said she hopes that this summer they will be able to host a workshop where the children can come to learn more about SketchUp.
SketchUp not only provides autistic children with a creative outlet, but it also provides them with a possible career path, Cronin said. Many companies will use the program to generate concept art to create objects in video games and movies, as well as real-life applications, such as architecture and designing roller coasters, he said. Gross used SketchUp to design the entire Nickelodeon theme park in the Mall of America, as well as in his most recent project, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, he said.
“For someone who may have a challenging time explaining their thoughts verbally, they can easily visualize their thoughts in three dimensions with SketchUp and it is fun,” Gross said. “It has simple commands and with a little practice, you can create some really cool things.”
Joplin said she was interested in both the summer workshop, classes that taught SketchUp and possible career opportunities the program could open for her son. If they could teach her son and others like him how to be successful, it would be her “dream come true,” she said.
To download SketchUp, go to www.sketchup.google.com/spectrum.html.
For those who missed the presentation and tutorial, videos will be available online at www.fcs.utah.edu.
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