Achieving Gameplay Independence in Virtual Reality Exergames for Individuals With Mild Intellectual Disabilities:...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Science
• Special Education
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Individuals with mild intellectual disabilities (ID) experience challenges impacting physical activity (PA) and increasing obesity risk.
• Virtual reality (VR) exergames offer potential for PA but require tailored teaching for individuals with ID.
• Structured approaches are crucial for fostering independence in VR gameplay among children with mild ID, enhancing motor skills, fitness, and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the WISH (Warm-up, Imitation, Settings, Half-hour exergame session) and WON (Warm-up, Objective evaluation, No problem!) protocols.
• To assess improvements in participant independence, VR exergame performance, and gameplay experience.
• To determine the effectiveness of structured VR training for individuals with mild ID.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study utilized a single-group design with 16 training sessions.
• Intervention included the WISH protocol (sessions 1-4) for VR familiarization and the WON protocol (sessions 5-16) for reducing trainer assistance.
• Sessions were conducted in a special school setting during physical education classes.

Main Results:

• Both WISH and WON protocols demonstrated effectiveness, with statistically significant improvements in understanding instructions and exergame performance.
• The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed significant gains in warm-up comprehension, imitation, and performance within the WISH protocol.
• The WON protocol also yielded significant improvements in exergame performance, with increased independence strongly correlating with better performance and gameplay experience.

Conclusions:

• Structured WISH and WON training protocols show potential for enhancing functional autonomy and VR exergame engagement in individuals with mild ID.
• These pedagogical approaches may improve physical activity, motor competence, and overall well-being in this population.
• Further large-scale, controlled studies are recommended to confirm efficacy and explore broader applications of these VR training methods.