Some of today's most cutting-edge technology is now being used to help students with special needs. No longer just the province of games for 'video needs', virtual reality has come into its own as a tool for special education teachers and therapists. As such, it is used for assessment, teaching, and practice, according to Skip Rizzo, research assistant professor at the University of Southern California. For example, virtual reality has been used effectively to assess students' depth perception, with the results being quite different from those obtained from traditional paper and pencil tests. It is also used to help students gain transition skills. Students with autism or developmental delay can visit a virtual supermarket, take public transportation, cross the street, or organize his or her day. Students in wheelchairs can learn how to navigate buildings And the beauty is, these students can make any number of mistakes without endangering themselves. In fact, one of the biggest virtues of virtual reality is that it allows students to learn in a safe environment, and this holds true for students with behavior. disorders. After a student has learned an appropriate behavior. or way of controlling his or her anger, the student is put in progressively more difficult virtual social situations where he or she can practice the new technique. And it is expected that future teachers will be exposed to virtual classes, complete with 'difficult students' to help them master behavior. management techniques. Virtual reality even allows us to tailor the world to meet a child's needs. Let's say we're teaching a child to cross the street by paying attention to traffic signs. Educators have found that it is often difficult for the child to locate the traffic sign in a busy environment. With virtual reality, we can blow up the 'walk sign' so the student knows what it looks like. Then we gradually begin shrinking the sign and adding other environmental elements. Once the student has mastered this virtually, he or she transfers the knowledge to the real world. In the end, this is the most important function of virtual reality programs for special students. In Line 2, Para. 1, the underlined word 'province' means ______.