A Bibliometric Study on the Use of Virtual Reality (VR) as an Educational Tool for High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Children

Abstract

The use of virtual reality (VR) as an educational tool for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children is a research field that started some 20 years ago. ASD is associated with deficiencies in communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive behavioural patterns, according to the fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). By using the ISI Web of Knowledge as the reference data basis, we perform a bibliometric study of the use of VR as an educational tool for high-functioning ASD children. By this study we can quantify, on the one hand, the up to day importance of the different types of VR applied to this field: immersive or non-immersive, as well as the use of human or agent avatars. On the other hand, we can also differentiate amongst those interventions that work on emotional and social competences. The analysis of periods of research scarce, research abundance and research trends provides a dynamic view of the strategies used in this field in the last 20 years and suggests future lines of research.

Using Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Displays in Schools with Autistic Children: Views, Experiences, and Future Directions

“…The need for this work is underlined by a lack of available studies and data pertaining to experience of autistic groups using VR HMDs. This view is supported by a review of literature from 1996 to 2017 undertaken by Fernández-Herrero et al, 11 who suggest that on the one hand, we have seen ''an increasing interest in the topic of virtual reality as an educational tool for High Functioning ASD children since 2010'' (p75), but on the other hand, ''the scientific production in this field is rather small considering its relatively wide trajectory, mostly concentrated between 2010 and 2017'' (p75).…”

“…of enjoyment, use, and application of VR HMDs with younger autistic populations. 11 However, we suggest that as the field grows and develops, providing data related to health and safety issues (including negative effects) needs to remain central to all research, because in doing so, there will be greater uptake and interest. This is especially important if VR HMDs can in fact provide a safe, ecologically valid, and supportive environment for autistic users to engage with a range of experiences.…”

Enfoque desde una perspectiva bibliométrica de la aplicación educativa de la realidad virtual en personas con Trastorno del Espectro Autista

“…En cuanto a la cantidad de artículos publicados, el periodo más importante fue la franja de 2014-2017 donde se llegaron a producir 150 artículos. Siendo en el año 2017 donde se produce un máximo con el 20% de los artículos, en consonancia con lo indicado por Fernández-Herrero et al (2018), que afirman que se trata de un campo en continua expansión científica. Por otro lado, se ha podido constatar que los años más prolijos llevaron asociado un mayor número de citas.…”

Virtual and Augmented Reality Applications in Medicine: Analysis of the Scientific Literature

“…Bibliometrics is an analytical approach that generates an integrative view and quantitative parameter profiling of entire research fields or specific scientific application areas [ 20 - 22 ]. Previous work has focused on specific areas of VR application such as dementia and rehabilitation medicine [ 23 , 24 ]. For instance, highly cited papers describing VR application for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focused their research mainly on the improvement of social skills [ 23 ], whereas research in the context of dementia mainly focused on the application of VR as an assessment tool for spatial navigation, memory profile, memory deficit, and memory formation in patients with mild cognitive impairment [ 24 ].…”