Virtual Reality Air Travel Training with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Preliminary Report

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits and repetitive behaviors.
• Virtual reality (VR) has shown promise in training specific and social skills for individuals with ASD.
• Previous VR interventions have addressed skills like public transport use and emotion recognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a VR-based functional communication activity for air travel skills in children with ASD.
• To evaluate the impact of VR intervention on real-world air travel performance.
• To explore clinician observations on participant engagement and intervention acceptance.

Main Methods:

• Five children diagnosed with ASD participated in a 3-week VR intervention using an iPhone X and Google Cardboard.
• Researchers measured activity completion during VR sessions on a 4-point scale.
• Children's air travel abilities were assessed pre- and post-intervention through parent ratings and a real-world airport rehearsal.

Main Results:

• All participating children demonstrated improvement in air travel skills from pre- to post-intervention.
• Improvements were noted in both researchers' and parents' observations.
• All children successfully navigated a real-world airport environment independently post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• VR-based interventions show potential for teaching essential air travel skills to young children with ASD.
• The study highlights the feasibility of using accessible VR technology for skill acquisition.
• Future research should involve larger sample sizes and more comprehensive clinical measures for validation.