3D software created by Carson City developer wins praise at national autism conference

A new computer and software system created by a Carson City man using interactive avatars to help those on the autism spectrum with social, conversational and motivational skills made its debut at the 2015 National Autism Society Conference this month in Denver.

The Invirtua 3D Digital Puppeteer TM, designed by performance animation guru Gary Jesch of Carson City, features live, animated 3D characters that can be operated much like a digital puppet show, demonstrating positive behaviors in an entertaining way.

“Helping people with autism really matters to Invirtua,” said Jesch. “From the day they receive their system, they belong to a group of users, therapists and scientists where they can share their experiences and learn new methods. We are there to support them every step of the way and to keep them safe in the process.”

Experts in the autism field said the Invirtua 3D Digital Puppeteer TM has promise for treating children with autism and other learning challenges. Leaders in the autism therapy community and parents of children with autism in attendance applauded its kid-friendly appeal and ability to make learning about appropriate social interactions both safe and enjoyable.

Children with autism can also easily learn to use the simple controls and communicate their feelings through the avatar characters. This exciting new therapeutic tool is for use by autism therapists, autism treatment centers and parents of children with autism.

Enid Webb M.A. CCC-SLP, a speech pathologist for the last 17 years practicing in Gardnerville, has been using the Invirtua 3D Digital Puppeteer TM since October 2014.

“This is an incredible tool for working with kids with autism,” said Webb. “It has changed the way I work. They are very visual learners and their brains think in animation. Communicating through the avatar removes the authority figure and makes it easier to address certain issues as well as teach and practice very specific skills. It’s a powerful reinforcer and a teaching instrument. It has truly been life-changing in my practice.”

Professor Ian C. Hale, Ph.D. FCIS, author of The Insider’s Guide to Autism and Asperger’s, et al, consultant and speaker stated, “Closely following the development and clinical testing of the Invirtua software package, it is, in my professional experience of 30 years, the best communicative aide available to the autistic community. The software allows people with autism to express and communicate their feelings in a unique and new environment. Invirtua provides an outstanding, economical and multi-versatile tool equally useful at home, for teachers and the psychological profession. I recommend it 100 percent.”

According to Dr. Tom Buggey, a researcher with 22 years of experience in modeling, an established intervention for autism, “One of the most effective ways to teach someone what to do is to show him or her how to do it. Live modeling is when a child imitates a person who is demonstrating the successful performance of a task in real life.

Video modeling is when a child imitates a person who has been videotaped successfully performing the task.”
“Invirtua’s program involves modeling through an avatar,” Buggey continued. “At present, there is little direct research on the topic; however, there is research on components of Invirtua that make me think it has the potential to become a powerful tool for teaching children, especially those with autism, for whom we have so few effective methods.”

“Invirtua’s technology intersects with an established intervention that delivers rapid improvement, great maintenance, and generalization to other skills,” said Buggey. “The use of video also allows therapists to teach in an area that is inherently challenging for persons with autism — social interaction. Invirtua takes this one step further by allowing the user to become the controller. The software allows the user to control all aspects of the avatar’s performance, including the facial emotions and eye contact. This alone is an important, groundbreaking aspect of the program.”

The complete Invirtua 3D Digital Puppeteer TM system, including live animation software, computer and controls, and several characters are available. For more information go here or call 888-766-6677.

You might say Gary Jesch was born to be a catalyst. Along the way, he’s found himself “outside the box,” as a pioneer innovating in the art of performance animation, and now expanding into healthcare and autism.

Gary wears all the hats as owner of GNJ Worldwide, Inc, and its business units – CHOPS & Assoc. Live Animation and Invirtua ™. At tradeshows and corporate meetings, he sparks curiosity in the minds of his audiences when he appears as CHOPS (Cyber Human on a Performance System), an interactive computer-generated avatar who talks with people in real time.

He started Invirtua in 2014 to bring live animation technology to help children with autism, by providing his virtual characters in software that parents and therapists could purchase and use for improving their social, conversational and motivational skills. With one in 68 children in the US affected by autism, he saw a great need for a commercial product that was inspired by the dozen studies showing its effectiveness in helping those with autism thrive.

His success with Invirtua began with his success as a performance animation artist in 1993. Gary’s work with meeting planners, tradeshow event managers, and Fortune 500 corporate clients took him on the road for about 15 years, to China, the Philippines, South America, Mexico, Europe and all over the US. In 2008, he designed and installed two of his Digital Puppeteer systems in Family Entertainment Centers — one in central California and one at the Mall of Asia in the Philippines.

He also runs two online meeting services – WebinarsOnFire and CHOPS Webcasting, to assist business owners with producing webinars, webcasts and live online meetings and events.

Gary runs with the wind on his 18-foot catamaran in the summer on the waters of Lake Tahoe near his home in Carson City. He also helps his wife Sue with her “Strings in the Schools” program there, where she teaches violin in both private practice and in the classrooms of Carson City.