Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool to support social communication in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study presents a systematic review of 28 empirical studies sourced from ERIC, APA PsycInfo, and Scopus. Articles in English published between 2014 and 2015 were included, with the last search being 10 June 2025, that implemented immersive VR interventions for children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD. Following PRISMA guidelines, we analyzed participant characteristics, intervention features, research designs, and reported outcomes with 91.6% IOA. An analysis of the risk of bias was performed using the RoB 2 framework for randomized trials and ROBINS-I for non-randomized studies. Results from the two assessments showed low to significant bias. However, due to the relative novelty of this field of study, all data was deemed valuable and was therefore included in this review. Results show that immersive VR interventions are generally effective in improving skills such as eye contact, emotion recognition, empathy, and conversational abilities, while also being engaging and well accepted by participants. Nevertheless, most studies were limited by small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and scarce evidence for long-term maintenance or real-world generalization. The findings underscore the potential of immersive VR as an innovative and scalable approach for enhancing social communication in ASD, while highlighting the need for more rigorous and longitudinal research. No funding was obtained for this systematic review. No protocol registration was carried out for this review as it was unfunded and exploratory in nature.

Social acceptance among peers is an important predictor of adolescents’ academic and social outcomes. This study investigates how social acceptance depends on adolescents’ engagement in watching TV and gaming. Based on Contact Theory, we expected that TV watching and gaming are linked to digital contact with peers, which in turn predicts acceptance among classmates. Data were drawn from a longitudinal study with two measurement points among 826 7th graders (M = 13.32 years; 47.6% girls). Multilevel analyses revealed that more TV watching and gaming were related to higher social acceptance cross-sectionally. This effect was mediated by greater digital contact with peers. However, no associations were found between contact via media and changes in acceptance over time. These results suggest that media use and related peer contact may be more relevant in short-term interactions when explaining adolescents’ acceptance among classmates. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Germany’s education system is continually evolving and advancing, especially within special education. The country’s history and the laws that have been implemented significantly shape special education as we know it today, yet unresolved issues persist in this field. One notable challenge is the divide between general education and special education, leading to limited inclusion of students with disabilities in schools. This article provides information about Germany’s demographics, the history of the country and its education system, and the laws and policies that affect people with disabilities in the country. Furthermore, it describes what the current systems look like, general and special education teacher preparation, and the issues found in the special education system today.

This article provides an overview of general and special education in Hungary, including training and teacher preparation. We examine trends towards inclusion and the challenges of training general education teachers to support students with disabilities. We also outline the process of qualifying for special education and explore teacher preparation in Hungary, including the various paths to becoming a certified teacher and the ongoing professional development requirements. This article concludes by addressing the historical importance of public education in Hungary and the laws and policies pertaining to special education. We highlight current issues in special education and teacher preparation, such as the diagnosis process for autism and the need for improved support and pay for teachers. Overall, a comprehensive overview of special education in Hungary is provided, highlighting its challenges, progress, and areas for improvement.

There is a growing body of research that suggests that video-based interventions, such as video modeling and video prompting, are effective tools for teaching academic skills to struggling learners. This study used a single subject, multiple-baseline-across-subjects design to evaluate whether a video-prompting intervention could effectively assist five second grade students who had been identified by their teachers as "struggling" in mathematics to better solve multiplication story problems. Five second grade students (one female and four males) ages 7 to 8 viewed the intervention videos on an iPad that modeled how to solve multiplication word problems. To evaluate the effectiveness of the videos, a rubric was used as the primary measure to assess the domains of problem-solving, communicating, and representing with numbers. Based on visual analysis between baseline and intervention, there was a functional relationship between the introduction of the intervention and the performance on the mathematic problems. In addition, a visual analysis between intervention and maintenance appeared stable for all participants. Lastly, the social validity data had overall positive results. These results indicate that technology can be used to implement interventions for struggling learners and may be utilized in regular classrooms. Results also demonstrate that video modeling can be a useful instructional tool for helping many individuals, not just those with an identified disability, to learn complex tasks. Implementing video models in a classroom setting could enable teachers to consistently provide interventions to students that work more independently, allowing teachers to work on a more one-on-one or small group basis with their students.

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for people with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) is increasing; however, it is currently hard to assess its quality as there are issues regarding the lack of consensus on how to design these technologies. Here, using a Delphi method, we built a trans-ICTs inventory named the Design ICT Inventory (DICTI) to guide and gauge design in the 4 main ICTs dedicated to people with NDD (serious game/App, robotics, video modeling, augmentative and alternative communication). After two rounds with feedback from 12 experts, we obtained consensus and agreement for each of the 13 items of the inventory: customization; feedback; rewards; contextualized learning; enhance motivation; manage difficulty; increasing accessibility; clarity of instruction and content; attention capacity; clear goals; minimalistic graphics and audio; human interaction; and trustworthy. The DICTI provides an easy tool to use in order to assess the design of ICTs. Future research is needed to ensure the inter-reliability of the inventory and its relevance in assessing ICT.

Social engagement is critical to the personal and social development of children. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit low levels of social engagement with peers and adults, with clearly fewer instances of eye contact, initiation, joint attention, and empathy. Given the pivotal role of social engagement, procedures that naturally evoke higher rates of social engagement may be critical. Prior research suggests that cartoons and other animated characters are more appealing to children with ASD than traditional face-to-face interactions with adults. However, this assertion lacks consistent empirical support. In this study, five elementary age students with ASD participated in a series of interactions with adults and live animation avatars. An alternating treatments design was used to evaluate participants' social engagement comparing their interactions with avatars to those with humans. Data show all five participants were consistently more attentive to the avatar than to human interventionists. In addition, all participants and their parents indicated the procedures were socially valid (i.e., preferred, feasible, and effective).

A review of the research literature indicated that early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and acceleration in receiving specialist help is associated with beneficial clinical outcomes and better ASD prognosis. However, there is a significant gap between the onset of early signs of ASD and the receipt of specialist advice. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting "the time of receiving specialized counseling (TSC)"; For this aim, a retrospective-comparative study was completed, 502 parents of children and adolescents with ASD were selected from seventeen ASD special schools and special services centers in Iran. Researchers examined the early behavioral signs and other developmental and demographic characteristics of the children. To investigate TSC, the participants were divided into three groups based on the child's age in the first action to receive specialized counseling: early action (n = 155), timely action (n = 178), and late action (n = 169). Data were analyzed to obtain a comprehensive view of intergroup differences as well as to examine relationships across the total sample. The results showed that the severity of signs, developmental delays, and parents' awareness plays an important role in receiving specialized help. This study also suggested that TSC can be considered an important factor for the early identification of ASD. We think that the mere focus on formal diagnosis of ASD can ignore the benefits of TSC and parental identification; Therefore, studying the different aspects of this can be an essential step in facilitating the early diagnosis of ASD and a better prognosis for children with ASD.

Assistive and instructional technology has been widely utilized to support the learning and instruction of students with disabilities. However, due to constantly changing technology and innumerable assistive and instructional technologies available, it can be challenging for teachers to select and evaluate which technology best suits the needs of their students. Teachers may also struggle to determine how best to integrate technology into the classroom as well as how to evaluate the effectiveness of the selected technology in improving the desired student outcomes. Therefore, this chapter reviews how to: (1) identify and evaluate technology for individual students; (2) incorporate this technology to support educational goals; (3) assess the effectiveness of the technology; and (4) use technology alongside other High Leverage Practices. This chapter focuses on technology for students with intensive academic needs; however, the frameworks and research presented is appropriate for any student with a disability.

This article is about the challenge of communication via smartphones and tablets by people with intellectual disabilities (ID). We will give special attention to persons that struggle with verbal communication. One of our co-researchers, the fourth author, has a severe ID. She cannot read, write or use voice assisted technology in any functional manner. As a result of many years of collaboration, and the need for solutions in connection with the challenges with COVID-19, she and her family have developed ways of remote communication that can be mastered both by the person with an ID and the majority (those without similar disabilities). We call it doing and talking. Successful remote communication not only depends on technology and how to use it, but also on communication strategies that both work for the person with an ID and the majority. It is often the case that people with ID are expected to learn the skills necessary to adapt to the majority. We will show that success is just as much a question of the majority learning new skills and strategies that can make real inclusion and collaboration possible.

Elementary and secondary schools saw a major shift in how instruction was delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.Schools across the United States shut down or participated in online learning.This shift to online learning led many to question how special education services should be delivered to students with disabilities.The purpose of this study was to gauge perceptions of special education services delivered in a remote learning environment during a public health crisis.Teachers and parents of students with disabilities (n = 108) from across the United States were surveyed.Results showed synchronous online learning to be the most prevalent form of providing special education services.However, participants largely viewed online instruction as ineffective at providing quality services for students with disabilities.Implications for improving online services for students with disabilities could include identifying specific reasons for participants' negative views which may lead to more actionable steps in improving online learning moving forward.In addition, examining actions taken by schools that have led to positive impressions of online learning among parents and educators could also be used to improve perceptions of online instruction for students with disabilities.Directions for future research are also discussed.

This study surveyed school professionals about their perceptions and attitudes toward using AR and VR in their work with children with disabilities. Survey data were collected from 257 participants in 45 states across the United States and from the Philippines. The findings indicated that very few practitioners used AR ( n = 26) or VR ( n = 19) in their practices, with nine participants using both AR and VR. Most of the participants who used AR or VR received training or had knowledge of how to use the technology and had technical support available. Similarly, the majority of the participants who did not use AR or VR reported a lack of training or knowledge of how to use the technology and a lack of financial resources. Participants who reported using AR were significantly younger than those who reported that they did not use AR, but there were no other significant differences between the groups.

Some individuals with disabilities are unable to work independently and often require additional instruction to complete basic tasks. To prepare students with disabilities for life after school, practitioners need to help them learn the skills necessary to live a happy, productive, and fulfilling life. Two technologies showing promise for such learning are augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications. This chapter will discuss how AR and VR can successfully be used to teach academic, social, and vocational skills to students with disabilities, including research that has been conducted to date. Additionally, guidance is provided for teachers seeking to use AR and VR in classroom and community learning environments. The chapter will conclude with directions for further research and future applications of AR and VR with students with disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-based instruction packet for teaching math-based vocational skills delivered through augmented reality (AR) to three adults with intellectual disabilities. The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly to solve each selected type of math problem. The independent variable was the video-based math intervention delivered via AR, which modeled the individual steps for solving three different multistep math problems: (1) adjusting a recipe to serve a different number of people, (2) calculating salary, and (3) calculating unit prices. Visual and statistical analyses demonstrated a functional relationship between the video-based math intervention and an increase in the percentage of steps completed correctly for each type of problem. All three participants showed significant gains immediately after receiving the intervention and maintained the learned skills following withdrawal of the intervention. Implications for practitioners and further research are discussed.

Background: Individuals with autism often struggle to establish and maintain positive relationships with peers and adults due to communication and social difficulties. Reviews of the research literature on social skills curricula suggest these approaches may be less than effective and often fail to promote generalization of acquired skills. Advances in the availability and adaptability of live animation and digital avatars could provide interventionists a tool to maximize engagement during instruction and program for generalization. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an avatar-based social skills intervention on participants' social initiations in a clinical setting and with same-age peers. Method: The research team used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design to evaluate the effects of instruction from an avatar on students' social skills. Systematic direct observation and the Social Skills Improvement System were used to evaluate the effects of an avatar delivered social skills lesson. Social validity was measured from the perspective of both participants and their parents. Results: Following instruction from an avatar, participants' percentage of independent steps completed in the skill "starting a conversation" increased to consistently above 80 %, or above typical mastery levels. Participants' conversation skills generalized to interactions with same-age peers. Finally, parents reported small positive gains in social skills, and participants indicated the intervention was socially valid. Conclusions: The findings from this study support the use of technology-aided interventions and instruction, specifically the use of live animation avatars. Future studies could extend use of this technology beyond the relatively simple, yet effective, application described here.

This article explores the emerging promise touchscreen devices hold for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Many individuals with ID that struggle to read, write or use voice assisted strategies can use touchscreen devices in many aspects of their lives. Research has shown that touchscreen technology is available, easy to use and can open an array of empowering possibilities for individuals with ID. In this article we will be sharing research and a vision for possible uses of touchscreen devices in the future for individuals with ID. Our perspectives are shaped by our experiences with using touchscreen technology in collaboration with people who have ID. A special aspect of our research methodology is the fact that one of our co-researchers has ID.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that video-based interventions such as video modeling (VM) and video prompting (VP) assist students with severe/profound disabilities, such as autism and intellectual disabilities, to learn academic skills. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates whether a VP intervention on a functional academic math skill would have similar effects for adolescent students with mild/moderate learning disabilities (LD). METHODS: A single subject multiple probe across subjects design was used. Five high school students (three female and two male) ages 16–17 viewed a video on an iPad to learn to calculate how much money an item would cost if a certain percentage of the price were deducted for a sale. RESULTS: A functional relation was found between use of the intervention and acquisition of the steps necessary to complete the calculation task. Three students maintained the skills, correctly answering most word problems on a post-test a month after completing the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study suggest that VP can be effective in teaching mathematic procedures to students with disabilities. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Social skills deficits may hinder learning, terminate relationships, and impede employment. Many individuals with autism and intellectual disability experience difficulties in social judgement, emotional regulation, and interpersonal relationships, all of which can lead to disruptive and aggressive behaviors. Explicit instruction, video modeling, and video feedback are research-based practices that have been used to teach conversation skills to individuals with developmental disabilities and social impairments. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of explicit instruction combined with video modeling and video feedback in teaching conversation-initiation skills to six adults ages 18-20 with autism and intellectual disability in a post-high school transition program. METHODS: Amultiple baseline across dyads designwas used, with number of correct initiation responses as the independent variable. The independent variable was an intervention package including explicit verbal instruction with interspersed video modeling clips, followed by video feedback. RESULTS: All six participants acquired the skills and were able to initiate a conversation; five of them maintained these skills over time, demonstrating them without the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Data supported a evidence functional relation between the intervention package and the participants' social initiation skills. Social validity responses indicated that participants enjoyed watching the videos of models and especially enjoyed watching the videos of themselves.

Individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities struggle to acquire and appropriately use social skills to improve the quality of their lives. These critical skills can be difficult to teach because they are context dependent and many students are not motivated to engage in instruction to learn them. The use of multi-modal technologies shows promise in the teaching a variety of skills to individuals with disabilities. iAnimate Live is a project that makes virtual environments, virtual characters (avatars), augmented reality, and animation more accessible for teachers and clinicians. These emerging technologies have the potential to provide more efficient, portable, accessible, and engaging instructional materials to teach a variety of social skills. After reviewing the relevant research on using virtual environments virtual characters (avatars) and animation for social skills instruction, this article describes current experimental applications exploring their use via the iAnimate Live project.