Piloting an adaptive skills virtual reality intervention for adults with autism: findings from user-centered formative design and evaluation

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present evaluation findings from a proof-of-concept virtual reality adaptive skills intervention called Virtuoso, designed for adults with autism spectrum disorders. Design/methodology/approach A user-centric usage test was conducted to investigate the acceptability, feasibility, ease-of-use and relevance of Virtuoso to the unique needs of participants, as well as the nature of participants’ user experiences. Findings are presented from the perspectives of expert testers and participant testers with autism. Findings This paper offers findings that suggest Virtuoso is feasible and relevant to the unique needs of the target population, and that user experience was largely positive. Anecdotal evidence of skills transfer is also discussed. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted in limited settings and with a small number of participants. Multiple VR hardware systems were used, and some experienced instability. This could be accounted for in future research by deploying across multiple settings and with a larger number of participants. Some evidence of cybersickness was observed. Future research must carefully consider the trade-offs between VR-based training and cybersickness for this vulnerable population. Originality/value This paper reports on cutting-edge design and development in areas that are under-represented and poorly understood in the literature on virtual reality for individuals with autism.

Learning Experience Design of Project PHoENIX: Addressing the Lack of Autistic Representation in Extended Reality Design and Development

“…Although the aforementioned studies provide evidence in support of the effectiveness of various VR technology-based interventions for autistic people, the majority of research in this area is largely technocentric; that is, researchers tend to refer all questions and solutions to the technology itself, and not to the action possibilities that the technology affords (Schmidt & Glaser, 2021a , b ). Virtual reality interventions can be experienced through a variety of low- to high-tech devices, which present different levels of immersion (i.e., low, moderate, and high) and degrees of realism, meaning that the ecological validity of a VR intervention and the generalizability of a learned skill can be influenced by which type of VR device is used.…”

“…Further, in the realm of VR for autistic users, understanding is lacking regarding “which technologies work for whom, in which contexts, with what kinds of support, and for what kinds of tasks or objectives?” (Parsons, 2016 , p. 153). This is seen as particularly problematic given the well-known complexity of VR design in general, which is exacerbated when designing for a remarkably heterogenous population—an issue that has been referred to as a “wicked problem” (Schmidt & Glaser, 2021 ; Parsons, 2016 ; Schmidt et al, 2019 ).…”

“…This trial-and-error approach was productive for team members to learn the ins-and-outs of the Mozilla Hubs platform, but was not advancing the design of the underlying PHoENIX VR environment. The lead designer surmised that this was in part due to an established lack of design precedent in this space (Schmidt & Glaser, 2021a , b ), but also due to a lack of design expertise on the part of the team.…”

“…The majority of research to-date has focused on how to correct autistic people’s behavior or treat so-called “deficits” (DeFilippis & Wagner, 2016 ; Genovese & Butler, 2020 ; Williams, 2010 ). These studies rest on what is referred to as “medical models” of disability, which position disability as a deficiency that exists within an individual and should be corrected (Schmidt & Glaser, 2021a , b ). However, researchers have recently begun advocating for studies that support and enable autistic individuals, as opposed to focusing on how to treat or cure them (Newbutt et al, 2017 ; Parsons & Cobb, 2011 ; Andrunyk et al, 2018 ; Newbutt et al, 2016 ).…”

Virtual reality technology enhances the cognitive and social communication of children with autism spectrum disorder

“…For abilities other than cognitive development and social communication, although VR technology can produce dynamic interaction, skill levels and the development obtained in specific training contexts must be further tested and trained in actual social situations (32)(33)(34). The timeframe of this study was short, with only 3 months of intervention.…”