Assessing Social Validity in Teaching Students With Autism Social Skills Through Augmented and Virtual Reality

• In Event: Studies and Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality

Abstract

This systematic review explores the social validity of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) as a means of providing social skill instruction to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Forty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. The intervention was considered effective in improving social skills (i.e., emotion recognition, relationship skills, social awareness, cooperation, or executive functioning) in 63% of studies, not effective in 10% of studies, and 27% of studies reported mixed results. Findings indicated socially valid reasons for using AR and VR as a method of social skill instruction for students with ASD. The primary reason being high student motivation toward the intervention (87% of reporting studies) and a positive attitude toward the technology (72% of reporting studies).

Authors

• Maggie A. Mosher, University of Kansas

• Adam Carreon, Georgia Southern University