Examining Safety and Usability of Virtual Reality for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication difficulties and the presence of repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Virtual Reality (VR) systems have highly desirable features for delivering interventions to individuals with ASD. In particular, they can offer high levels of authenticity and realism, which in turn, can improve the ecological validity of interventions. They also provide a relatively inexpensive way to practice and learn skills in a personalized, controlled, and safe setting. There is, however, a significant gap in understanding how VR environments are experienced by individuals with ASD. To address this, the objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the safety and usability of head-mounted VR for children with ASD, and (2) discover demographic and phenotypic predictors of VR usability and safety in ASD. Ultimately, the findings can inform the design of personalized VR-based interventions for this population.M.A.S