Immersive Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Communication Disorders: A Scoping Review

The objective of the present scoping review was to identify how immersive virtual reality (VR) has been implemented within the discipline of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) among clinical populations.

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, five electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 1965 and August 2025. A total of 1,116 records were identified, of which 11 publications met the inclusion criteria of employing immersive VR with individuals diagnosed with a communication disorder and involving a speech-language pathologist or CSD researcher.

Across the 11 included studies, nearly half (45%) examined immersive VR applications for stuttering, while other studies targeted aphasia, dementia, voice disorders, and neurogenic communication disorders. Most studies employed within-subject experimental or case study designs with small sample sizes (ranging from three to 36 participants, ages 9-81 years). Generally, across studies, immersive VR elicited communicative and emotional responses comparable to those observed in real-world contexts. Participants reported strong presence and engagement, supporting the potential and feasibility of VR-based interventions across CSD populations.

Strengths of the evidence include consistent feasibility outcomes. Limitations include small sample sizes, short intervention durations, and considerable heterogeneity in study designs and outcome measures. Clinicians and researchers may find immersive VR a valuable complement to conventional methods, offering opportunities to study and support communication behaviors within controlled yet ecologically relevant contexts.