You can learn more about Skip Rizzo's Virtual Classroom at imsc.usc.edu/news/virt_class_news.html (University of Southern California).

Information for kids about attention disorders can be found at the Attention Deficit Disorder Association's "Kid's Area" at www.add.org/content/kids1.htm (Attention Deficit Disorder Association).

Books recommended by SearchIt!Science:

Virtual Reality: Beyond the Looking Glass — Elaine Pascoe Published by Blackbirch Press/Gale Group, 1998. What is virtual reality? Why is it so important to scientists? "When most of us hear the words 'virtual reality,' we think of games in which the player is totally immersed in an interactive, computerized world." But it is so much more than that. Learn about what virtual reality is, how it got started, and how it works.

Virtual Reality: Experiencing Illusion — Christopher W. Baker Published by Millbrook Press, 2000. It may seem as if virtual reality has something to do only with video games. But it's really just a term that refers to any way of letting someone experience something without really doing it. According to this book, early attempts at virtual reality did include games, but they also included military flight training programs and other practical applications. Nowadays, for example, people are using virtual reality for guided tours of far-off places and to assist medical personnel with complicated health procedures.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder — Julie Williams Published by Enslow Publishers, 2001. Inattention, impulsivity, distractibility, and hyperactivity: These are the main symptoms of the behavior disorder known as ADHD. This book explains what ADHD is, how it is identified, and how it is treated. Fourteen-year-old Jasper and 8-year-old Nan both have ADHD, and they have problems paying attention in school. Read about strategies for school success for children with ADHD, learn about the history of the disorder, and investigate ADHD and society in this informative book. The last chapter of the book focuses on the future and ADHD, and notes that "many professionals see ADHD as simply one point along the continuum of human behavior."

attention deficit disorder A condition whose symptoms include impulsiveness and a short attention span. It is usually diagnosed in childhood and can interfere with one's performance at school, in the workplace, and in social situations. • Attention deficit disorder in which hyperactivity is present is called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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