The potential of virtual reality in social skills training for people with autistic spectrum disorders

Bibliographic Data

ID5954958
AuthorsParson (0000-0002-2542-4745), S Parsons, Peter Mitchell (0000-0002-3112-3578)
Year2002
Volume46
Issue5
Pages430-443
Publication date2002-05-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Intellectual Disability Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0964-2633 • E-ISSN: 1365-2788
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1046/j.1365-2788.2002.00425.x
PMID12031025
OpenAlexW1949073527
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited76

Background People with autism experience profound and pervasive difficulties in the social domain. Attempts to teach social behaviours tend to adopt either a behavioural or a 'theory of mind' (ToM) approach. The beneficial aspects and limitations of both paradigms are summarized before an examination of how virtual reality technology may offer a way to combine the strengths from both approaches. Methods This is not an exhaustive review of the literature; rather, the papers are chosen as representative of the current understanding within each broad topic. Web of Science ISI, EMBASE and PsycInfo were searched for relevant articles. Results Behavioural and ToM approaches to social skills training achieve some success in improving specific skills or understanding. However, the failure to generalize learned behaviours to novel environments, and the unwieldy nature of some behavioural methodologies, means that there is a need for a training package that is easy to administer and successful in promoting learning across contexts. Conclusions Virtual reality technology may be an ideal tool for allowing participants to practise behaviours in role-play situations, whilst also providing a safe environment for rule learning and repetition of tasks. Role-play within virtual environments could promote the mental simulation of social events, potentially allowing a greater insight into minds. Practice of behaviours, both within and across contexts, could also encourage a more flexible approach to social problem solving. Virtual environments offer a new and exciting perspective on social skills training for people with autistic spectrum disorders

Autism · Autism spectrum disorder · Perspective (graphical · PsycINFO · Social relation · Social skills · Virtual reality · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Child and Animal Learning Development

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access