Enhancing motor coordination and social interaction in children with autism through virtual reality rehabilitation

This study evaluates the effects of virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation on motor coordination and social interaction in children with autism and explores related neural mechanisms and caregiver perspectives. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 80 children with autism who underwent either VR-based or conventional rehabilitation. Outcomes included motor performance, social behaviors, training adherence, caregiver satisfaction, and brain activation assessed by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Compared with conventional training, VR rehabilitation was associated with greater improvements in motor coordination and social engagement. Enhanced activation was observed in brain regions linked to motor control and social cognition. Higher training adherence was positively correlated with caregiver satisfaction. VR-based rehabilitation can effectively support motor and social development in children with autism while improving treatment adherence and caregiver acceptance. These findings highlight VR as a promising tool for personalized pediatric neurorehabilitation.