Asperger's Therapy Hits Second Life

That inflexibility and tendency toward obsession makes Dr. Susan M. Anderson, the director of the autism program at the University of Virginia Children's Medical Center, wonder if the online nature of the game might be problematic.

"Asperger's kids love computers anyway. They play video games a lot, and it's tough to separate in a way," Anderson said. "I wonder whether you would be able to do it in other ways with a therapist."

But Chapman is undeterred and hopes that the Second Life isn't the end of the road for virtual socialization for Asperger's patients. The center is developing another program like Second Life but that will allow avatars to express -- and help Asperger's patients ability to detect -- a broader range of emotional depth.

"Second Life can't see emotions," she said. "We're moving to a new platform where we can teach the basic fundamental emotions, teach what happy is."