Introduction Virtual reality (VR) is a digital technology currently considered to implement rehabilitation programs for children with ADHD, a disorder characterised by inattention, overactivity and impulsiveness. This study presents the results of the acceptance and usability of a VR application developed for children with ADHD aiming to provide an environment capable of supporting the development of the different attentional components. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this study had the secondary aim of assessing whether a remote evaluation was feasible and meaningful. Methods A sample of 20 clinical experts (neuro and psychomotor therapists of the developmental age) was involved in assessing the proposed environment. Two different tools have been applied: the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM-3) questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were self-administered. Six sessions were planned in total, and each one lasted 30 min. Results With respect to the acceptance of the system, the mean of the answers given is for most of the constructs greater than 4, showing agreement among experts. Cronbach alpha and correlations of subscales seem to confirm the reliability of measures. According to results from the interviews, the developed application has shown versatility in being able to be applied to the heterogeneity of the disorder and it was also possible to obtain valuable insights on possible additional features and functionalities. Regarding the secondary aim, the collected outcomes were positive: all the participants were satisfied with what they could perceive about the application. Conclusions The results of this work pave the way for a future validation study with children due to the active participation of clinicians and their unanimous positive judgement confirming that the application was considered user-friendly and well accepted.
In the literature, a delay in the development and acquisition of motor skills is generally described in children with autism spectrum disorder, affecting between 50% and 80% of this population. In spite of this high frequency of occurrence, motor difficulties are not yet considered in the same way as the core deficits of this disorder (difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior); addictionaly, there is not yet enough research about the efficacy of a specific intervention that can support the development of motor functions compromised in autism. Recent findings, which support the correlation between motor domain and other areas of development (social and cognitive), together with other evidence that underline the benefits of practicing motor activities on the individual's well-being, lead us to re-evaluate the effects of motor intervention for autism. To define the salient points of this kind of intervention, with particular attention to rehabilitation practice, a literature search was carried out on four different databases, which sifted through 602 bibliographic citations and found 10 studies that were able to meet the set research purposes. This review showed that physical activity in autistic children not only improves motor performance, but also plays an important role in the social, cognitive and behavioural development, as well as helping to reduce some secondary or associated symptoms, such as stereotypies or sleep disorders.
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