Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Technology Interventions in Improving the Social Skills of Children and Adolescents With Autism: Systematic Review
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Yang, X., Wu, J., et al. (2025).
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e60845.
<div>This systematic review investigates the effects of virtual reality (VR) technology interventions on social outcomes in children and adolescents, 3 to 18 years old, on the autism spectrum.</div>
Special Funding for Key Areas in Biomedicine and Health of Ordinary Colleges and Universities in Guangdong Province (China); Humanities and Social Sciences Project of the Chinese Ministry of Education
From database inception to April 11, 2024
<div>Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials</div>
14
<div>VR interventions demonstrated benefits in social skill outcomes for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. Immersive VR showed greater effects on complex social interactions, while non-immersive VR supported adaptive training on basic skills and behavior management. Individuals with milder social impairments showed improvements in complex social skills. Individuals with more severe communication challenges improved basic social skills. Potential side effects of VR technology include dizziness, eye fatigue, and sensory overload, particularly with immersive VR.</div>
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<div>Limitations of this review include small sample sizes, different social skill assessment tools, and the heterogeneity in intervention protocols. Additional research is needed to investigate individualized VR interventions with larger and more diverse samples and to observe the long-term effects in individuals on the autism spectrum.</div>
<div>Overall, long-term, high-frequency VR interventions lasting 6 to 15 weeks with 2-3 sessions per week resulted in the greatest effects on social skills and emotional regulation in children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. However, children with more severe communication challenges experienced fatigue more often. </div>
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<div>Limitations of this review include small sample sizes, different social skill assessment tools, and the heterogeneity in intervention protocols. Additional research is needed to investigate individualized VR interventions with larger and more diverse samples and to observe the long-term effects in individuals on the autism spectrum.</div>
