Autistic people often experience difficulties navigating face-to-face social interactions. Historically, the empirical literature has characterised these difficulties as cognitive 'deficits' in social information processing. However, the empirical basis for such claims is lacking, with most studies failing to capture the complexity of social…

Background: The job interview can be challenging for autistic adolescents considering the required social communication skills. Further, having decreased awareness of personal strengths may make it difficult to advocate for oneself to a future employer. The purpose of the current pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to examine the…

Both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology have shown potential for the instruction of people on the autism spectrum by simulating real-world experiences in a safe and controlled environment. However, numerous reports indicate that this type of research has included few participants with intellectual disability (ID). The…

In this exploratory study, we designed and validated game-based performance tasks to assess the development of representational flexibility in autistic adolescents through virtual reality (VR)-based training. Representational flexibility, a critical cognitive ability, involves attention switching, generating representations, and recognizing…

In the last decade, there has been an increase in publications on technology-based interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Virtual reality based assessments and intervention tools are promising and have shown to be acceptable amongst individuals with ASD. This scoping review reports on 49 studies utilizing virtual reality and augmented…

This review investigated virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) communication interventions for children, adolescents, and adults with communication disability and neurodevelopmental disorders, as well the feasibility of these technologies. A search of five scientific databases yielded 5385 potentially relevant records of which 69 met…

Virtual reality (VR) has evolved to include non-immersive to fully-immersive experiences for the classroom. This study seeks to understand the potential effects VR may offer, specifically characteristics associated with how a student experiences a VR intervention and the effects of using a VR device for learning. A group experimental design was…

In a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT), "Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth" (VIT-TAY) enhanced employment for autistic youth receiving transition services. For this study, a nonrandomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial evaluated whether VIT-TAY maintained its core implementation and effectiveness…