Virtual and Augmented Reality in Social Skills Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.
Anders Dechsling, Stian Orm, Tamara Kalandadze and 4 others
PMID 34783991WHAT IT FOUND
Virtual reality social skills interventions for autism are widely accepted by users, with positive evaluations in 81% of reporting studies.
However, the evidence base is immature: most trials are small case studies, female participants are underrepresented, and few include individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Key findings
01Acceptability data was reported in only 21 of the 49 included studies, with none reporting negative evaluations.
02The majority of included studies were case-studies and feasibility pilots, with only three randomized controlled trials.
03Female participants accounted for only 7.4% of the sample, which is lower than the reported male-to-female ratio in autism.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review excluded grey literature, which may bias the sample toward studies with positive or novel results. Most included studies were small, short-duration case-studies or pilots, limiting the ability to draw conclusions about efficacy. The participant sample was not representative, with significant underrepresentation of females and individuals with intellectual disabilities. The authors did not conduct a meta-analysis because the design heterogeneity and low number of RCTs made it premature.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by Ostfold University College.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high rate of positive acceptability reports as evidence that VR/AR interventions improve social outcomes. The review found no negative acceptability, but this is based on a small subset of studies that often lacked rigorous control groups or long-term follow-up.