Using Virtual Reality Environments to Augment Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Fears and Phobias in Autistic Adults.

The study had no control group, so it is impossible to know if the improvements were due to the virtual reality intervention, the therapist's attention, or natural changes over time. The sample size was very small (eight people), which prevented statistical analysis of the data. The researcher who wrote the descriptions of the participants' behavior was not blind to the fact that they had received treatment, which could have influenced the expert panel's ratings. The standardized questionnaires used were not sensitive to the specific changes in phobia-related functioning, leading to a discrepancy between the expert panel's positive ratings and the neutral questionnaire scores.

The research was sponsored by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. The virtual reality scenes were designed and programmed by Third Eye Neurotech, a commercial entity, though the paper does not explicitly state if this company funded the study or if the authors had financial ties to them.

Do not conclude that virtual reality exposure is a proven treatment for anxiety in autistic adults. This was a small feasibility study with no control group, and three of the eight participants did not improve. Furthermore, standard anxiety measures showed no change, meaning the reported benefits were based solely on subjective expert ratings of functional behavior.