( CNN ) -- Walk into Naughty Auties , a virtual resource center for those with autism , and you 'll find palm trees swaying against a striking ocean sunset . Were it not for the pixelated graphics on the computer screen in front of you , you would swear you were looking at a tropical hideaway . David Savill , who has named himself Dave Sparrow in Second Life , has Asperger 's syndrome . David Savill , 22 , lives in Gloucester , England , in real life and created this spot within the virtual world of Second Life . Residents of this digital realm can represent themselves with 3-D images called avatars and connect with each other over the Internet . Savill has Asperger 's syndrome and said he wanted Naughty Auties to serve those with autism spectrum disorders and their friends and family . Savill , who represents himself in the virtual world using an avatar named Dave Sparrow , said one benefit is that visitors can practice social interaction and find information about the condition . The graphical representations of real people create a `` comfort zone '' that can coax users out of their shells and get them communicating with others , he said . `` You 're on your own computer , in your own room , your own space , '' Savill said . `` So you 're not going out into the real world meeting people , you 're going meeting people online and in your own home , so you 're perfectly relaxed . It 's just a fantastic tool to use to bring people together . '' Take a video tour of Naughty Auties with Savill » . Autism , more precisely the autism spectrum , is a range of brain disorders that can cause difficulties in social interaction , communication and behavior . Asperger 's syndrome is at the milder end of this spectrum . People with Asperger 's are often high-achieving but can have difficulty in social situations . CNN learned about Savill 's Second Life place from an iReporter in England who has named herself Janey Bracken in Second Life . Bracken , who prefers not to share her real name , submitted stories to iReport.com describing Savill 's resource center and providing information about other places where those with the condition can turn . `` [ Savill ] said that his life changed when his family decided to get the Internet , '' Bracken wrote . `` He was able to use chat rooms and soon realized that people used symbols to express themselves : the smiley signs , the angry signs , hug signs , etc. , to enhance the text . He went on to say that subconsciously his brain was learning about communication from these sessions of chat . '' Second Life has its own economy and social scene , and Bracken and Savill hope it could become a haven for those seeking help for autism . While many think such computer interactions could eventually be helpful in treating autism , scientists say more information is needed to truly assess their value . Dr. Fred Volkmar , a professor in Yale University 's Child Study Center , said he would want more concrete studies done before he could be sure . `` Although not much research is yet available , there is clearly considerable potential in use of new technologies for fostering social skills , '' Volkmar said . To answer this need , scientists are beginning to explore the possibilities in Second Life . One such researcher is Simon Bignell , a lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby in Derby , England , who is running a project that is evaluating teaching and research in Second Life . Bignell , known in-world as Milton Broome , said Second Life is an uncharted but promising area for new applied psychological research . Virtual reality can be used to simulate new environments for people on the autistic spectrum , he said . `` For people with autism , we 've found it 's a very nice way of setting up situations they might come across in their everyday lives , '' Bignell said . `` For people who have social , emotional , communicational problems ... we can get them familiar with an environment before they actually try it out in real life . '' Watch more on autism research in a virtual world » . He started the `` Autism Research '' discussion group within Second Life to serve as an information-sharing tool for interested parties . He also has an office within Second Life and can sometimes be found working in SL-Labs , the university 's in-world psychology lab space . The lab areas contain meeting spots , informational kiosks and games . A portion of these areas contain information about autism and Asperger 's . Savill said Second Life excels at minimizing geographical separations between people and bringing people from all over the world to meet together quickly and easily . He added that he wanted to emphasize that virtual worlds are an emerging and important tool not just for autistic people , but for the people who know them . `` It 's not just to help people with autism , it 's to help people whose lives have been affected by autism , be they family or friends or employees of people who have autism , '' Savill said . `` Naughty Auties is a fantastic meeting place for people . '' E-mail to a friend .
People with autism spectrum disorders could find a haven within Second Life . Second Life is a virtual world where people represent themselves with avatars . David Savill , 22 , has Asperger 's syndrome and founded a virtual gathering spot . iReport : See your Second Life stories and news of a virtual world .