Immersive virtual reality in improving communication skills in children with Autism

Individuals in the Autism Spectrum often encounter situations where they have to respond to questions and situations that they do not know how to respond to, such as, questions asked by strangers including ones related to daily-life activities. A variety of research has been done to improve social and communication impairments in children with autism using technology. Immersive virtual reality is a relatively recent technology with a potential to bring an effective solution and used as a therapeutic tool to develop different skills. This paper presents a virtual reality solution to reduce the gap experienced by autistic children due to their inability to establish a communication. An interactive scenario-based system that uses role-play and turn-taking technique was implemented to evaluate and verify the effectiveness of immersive environment on the social performance of an autistic child. Preliminary testing of the system demonstrated the feasibility of VR-based system as a tool for improving the communication skill in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children. The results of the comparative usability study show the effectiveness of immersive VR in motivating and satisfying the autistic.Scopu

My Lovely Granny’s Farm : An immersive virtual reality training system for children with autism spectrum disorder

One of the biggest difficulties faced by children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during their learning process and general life, is communication and social interaction. In recent years, researchers and practitioners have invested in different approaches to improving aspects of their communication and learning. However, there is still no consolidated approach and the community is still looking for new approaches that can meet this need. Addressing this challenge, in this article we propose a novelty approach (i.e., an Adaptive Immersive Virtual Reality Training System), aiming to enrich social interaction and communication skills for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this adaptive system (called My Lovely Granny’s Farm), the behavior of the virtual trainer changes depending on the mood and actions of the users (i.e., patients/learners). Additionally, we conducted an initial observational study by monitoring the behavior of children with autism in a virtual environment. In the initial study, the system was offered to users with a high degree of interactivity so that they might practice various social situations in a safe and controlled environment. The results demonstrate that the use of the system can allow patients who needed treatment to receive therapy without leaving home. Our approach is the first experience of treating children with autism in Kazakhstan and can contribute to improving the communication and social interaction of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We contribute to the community of educational technologies and mental health by providing a system that can improve communication among children with autism and providing insights on how to design this kind of system.Peer reviewe

A Bibliometric Study on the Use of Virtual Reality (VR) as an Educational Tool for High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Children

The use of virtual reality (VR) as an educational tool for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children is a research field that started some 20 years ago. ASD is associated with deficiencies in communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive behavioural patterns, according to the fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). By using the ISI Web of Knowledge as the reference data basis, we perform a bibliometric study of the use of VR as an educational tool for high-functioning ASD children. By this study we can quantify, on the one hand, the up to day importance of the different types of VR applied to this field: immersive or non-immersive, as well as the use of human or agent avatars. On the other hand, we can also differentiate amongst those interventions that work on emotional and social competences. The analysis of periods of research scarce, research abundance and research trends provides a dynamic view of the strategies used in this field in the last 20 years and suggests future lines of research

Neuroaffirmative Approaches to Extended Reality: Empowering Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition through Immersive Learning Environments

Traditional teaching and working environments often prioritize extroverted qualities, disadvantaging individuals with conditions that impact social engagement, such as autism spectrum condition (ASC). These individuals usually thrive in calmer, low-key learning environments but face challenges in lecture-style classes, and traditional office environments leading to marginalization in academic and professional settings. This study explores the neuroaffirming potential of extended reality (XR) in creating immersive learning and working environments tailored to the unique needs of individuals with ASC. By focusing on four key factors—indirect social engagement, digital communication preferences, sensory sensitivity, and avatar-based communication—XR technologies can provide a supportive and accommodating environment for those with sensory processing disorders (SPD). As the metaverse and virtual reality (VR) technology advances, education and industry can harness social VR to prepare students for a future of work defined by virtual collaboration. This research investigates the transformative role of XR and the metaverse in promoting a more inclusive educational and professional landscape by adapting environments to empower individuals with ASC, enabling them to reach their full potential in a neuroaffirmative manner

Rendere l'interazione accessibile: realtà virtuale e aumentata per il contatto visivo nell'au­tismo

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder frequently struggle with eye contact, i.e. the ability to reciprocate another person’s direct look. This restricts their access to social interaction and thus constitutes a considerable barrier to social inclusion. This paper explores the possibility to employ virtual and augmented reality to devise training programs aimed at improving eye contact skills in the population at stake. The paper starts with a critique of the use of virtual reality, highlighting some of its limitations: most importantly, the discomfort generated by most headsets. Hence, the paper proposes a shift towards augmented reality. By comparing the two technologies, it argues that augmented reality can be perceptually less challenging and less distressing, thus creating more favourable training conditions. Augmented reality, the paper concludes, may become an important component of future interventions targeting social inclusion for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Virtual and augmented reality in social skills interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review

In the last decade, there has been an increase in publications on technology-based interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Virtual reality based assessments and intervention tools are promising and have shown to be acceptable amongst individuals with ASD. This scoping review reports on 49 studies utilizing virtual reality and augmented reality technology in social skills interventions for individuals with ASD. The included studies mostly targeted children and adolescents, but few targeted very young children or adults. Our findings show that the mode number of participants with ASD is low, and that female participants are underrepresented. Our review suggests that there is need for studies that apply virtual and augmented realty with more rigorous designs involving established and evidenced-based intervention strategies.publishedVersio

Assessment of postural, locomotor, and physical fitness status in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Introduction: Postural control and locomotion deficits can be observed during the early years of childhood development and throughout life. For those with disabilities, these deficits can advance past the development years and into adolescence and adulthood while affecting the quality of life and daily activity. Finding interactive rehabilitative activities to delay or limit these deficits is essential for people with disabilities to improve their quality of life, inclusion, and overall movement. Adapted physical activity/sports like badminton and virtual reality could promote improvements in postural and locomotor status for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities like cerebral palsy (CP), intellectual disability (ID), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Purpose: These studies aim to assess the postural and locator status of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities after participating in a 12-week badminton and intensive virtual reality programs. Methods: Study A will follow a multiple baseline approach to access postural control, locomotion, and areas of physical fitness in young adults with IDD utilizing the immersive virtual reality game Fruit Ninja™ while study B will follow and repeated measures design accessing static postural control for students in a comprehensive transition program for intellectual disabilities at a southeastern university

Virtual Reality as a Support Tool for the Treatment of People with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review

Since the emergence of virtual reality (VR) technologies, many researchers have argued on the benefits of their use for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities. However, up to this date there is not a single study that presents a detailed overview of the state of the art in virtual reality as a support tool for the treatment of people with intellectual and multiple disabilities, as well as Autism and Down Syndrome. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed overview of the state of the art in the virtual reality area focusing on people with multiple disabilities, that encompasses intellectual and physical disabilities. There is still no consensus on the effectiveness of VR-based treatments. Virtual reality can offer rich environment and features, but most of the researches focuses only in the experience to be inside a virtual place without taking advantage of what benefits VR provide us. Furthermore, most of our selected studies used non-immersive VR and AR. Thus, immersive VR is an open field with many opportunities to be explored. We believe VR has great potential to be effective in the treatment of people with intellectual and multiple disabilities