Immersive VR Assessment and Intervention Research of Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Is Dominated by ASD and ADHD: a Scoping Review

Abstract

In this scoping review on 34 studies, we examined the use of immersive virtual reality (IVR) in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). IVR was mostly used in connection with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for assessment of and intervention in social skills, and in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for assessment of executive performance. Diagnostic measures varied or were not available, and the level of evidence was generally observational/descriptive. Furthermore, few studies reported on feasibility and user experience and even fewer on human guidance and the generalization of intervention to everyday life. Our results suggest that human guidance during and after immersive VR may be crucial for generalization of skills. More research on IVR in other NDDs is needed.