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Comparative Outcomes of VR and In-person Interventions for Preschool-aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sponsor: National Cheng-Kung University Hospital
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a virtual reality (VR)-based social skills intervention works as well as an in-person group intervention for improving social skills in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability. It will also examine how these two approaches may differ in their effects across different settings. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do children who receive the VR-based intervention show improvements in social skills over time? Are there differences in outcomes between children receiving the VR-based intervention and those receiving the in-person group intervention? Researchers will compare a VR-based social skills intervention to an in-person group-based intervention with equivalent content to see if the mode of delivery affects treatment outcomes. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to either a VR-based intervention group or an in-person group intervention Participate in 8 weekly sessions, each lasting approximately 50 minutes Engage in structured, play-based social skills activities designed using naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBIs) principles Complete caregiver- and teacher-reported questionnaires before and after the intervention
Official title: Comparative Outcomes of VR and In-person NDBI-informed Social Skills Interventions for Preschool-aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
4 Years - 6 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
32
Start Date
2023-12-06
Completion Date
2025-10-31
Last Updated
2026-05-18
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Virtual Reality-Based Social Skills Group Intervention
This intervention is a virtual reality (VR)-based social skills training program grounded in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). The program consists of 8 weekly sessions (approximately 50 minutes each) delivered via a head-mounted display in an immersive virtual environment. The intervention incorporates structured social interaction scenarios, hierarchical prompting, prompt fading, and individualized reinforcement. Real-time feedback is provided based on participant responses to support the development of social communication, emotional understanding, and behavioral regulation. The intervention content, session structure, and therapeutic principles are designed to be equivalent to the in-person intervention condition.
In-Person Social Skills Group Intervention
This intervention is an in-person group-based social skills training program grounded in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). The program consists of 8 weekly sessions (approximately 50 minutes each), conducted in small groups and led by trained clinicians. The intervention includes naturalistic social interaction activities, hierarchical prompting, prompt fading, and individualized reinforcement. Therapists provide real-time modeling, feedback, and scaffolding based on participants' responses. The intervention content, session structure, and therapeutic principles are matched to those of the VR-based intervention to ensure equivalence across conditions.
Locations (1)
National Cheng Kung University Hospital
Tainan, Tainan City, Taiwan