Using Virtual Reality to Improve Emotion Understanding in Children With Autism

Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Autism Disorder; Autism

Treatments: Other: Traditional intervention; Other: Oculus intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07367256

CNR-IRIB-PRO-2026-002

Details and patient eligibility

About

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and in understanding one's own and others' mental and emotional states. In particular, skills related to the recognition, understanding, and regulation of emotions represent a significant area of vulnerability in children with high-functioning ASD, with important consequences for social and relational functioning.

The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention protocol designed to enhance socio-emotional understanding, with a specific focus on the recognition of basic and complex emotions, the expansion of emotional vocabulary, the association between situations, thoughts, and emotions, and the differentiation between thoughts and emotions. Furthermore, the study seeks to investigate the role of immersive technology (Oculus) as a potential facilitator of emotional learning compared to a traditional intervention approach. The sample will consist of children with a diagnosis of high-functioning ASD, aged between 7 and 10 years, with sentence-level language abilities, the capacity to narrate non-present events, and an intellectual quotient above 80 (assessed using the Griffiths Scales or the WISC-IV). Participants will be divided into two groups: an experimental group (OCULUS), which will receive the intervention mediated by the use of Oculus technology, and a control group which will undergo the same protocol without technological support.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 10 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Language in sentences
• Ability to narrate events not present
• QS/QI>80

Exclusion criteria

• presence of other medical disorders

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental group with virtual reality

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention protocol is designed to enhance socio-emotional skills in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. The intervention focuses on the recognition and understanding of basic and complex emotions, the expansion of emotional vocabulary, and the ability to associate situations, thoughts, and emotions, promoting the differentiation between mental and emotional states. The treatment consists of weekly sessions over a total duration of four months and is structured around gradual activities based on visual stimuli and everyday social situations. These activities are carried out by the experimental group through the use of immersive virtual reality technology (Oculus), which allows children to interact with structured environments and scenarios designed to facilitate emotional and social learning.

Treatment:

Other: Oculus intervention

Control group

Other group

Description:

The control group follows the same intervention protocol aimed at enhancing socio-emotional skills in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. In this group as well, the intervention focuses on the recognition and understanding of basic and complex emotions, the expansion of emotional vocabulary, and the ability to associate situations, thoughts, and emotions, promoting the differentiation between mental and emotional states. The treatment consists of weekly sessions over a total duration of four months and is structured around gradual activities based on visual stimuli and everyday social situations. However, unlike the experimental group, the activities are conducted in a traditional format, without the use of immersive technology (Oculus), with the therapist directly guiding the child through the activities and supporting their emotional and social understanding.

Treatment:

Other: Traditional intervention