Virtual Reality Gaming for Promoting Social Skills in Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Melanie Cristofolini, Gianpaolo Alvari, Ersilia Vallefuoco, Elio Salvadori, Marco Dianti, Iuri Mastrandrea, Paola Venuti
Recent research has shown how virtual reality (VR) can help people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) improve social and communication skills as well as reduce social anxiety. However, many VR applications for ASD focus on the training and development of specific social skills. This paper presents a feasibility study to validate the clinical effectiveness of a new VR-based gaming environment that supports social skills training in ASD through multiplayer gaming sessions. 34 participants in small groups participated in three therapist-mediated VR sessions. Results showed good usability and high participant engagement with the gaming activities offered on the VR platform. Further investigation is needed by including other physiological parameters and expanding the sample, but promising data emerged regarding the possible implementation of VR technologies in the context of ASD intervention.
Keywords
Virtual reality, Digital platform, Serious game, ASD, Social skills intervention.
