Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

Systematic review of VR interventions for social skills in autistic children, published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2025) - examining how VR can supplement traditional autism interventions

Altın Y et al. · 2025 · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · Systematic Review 0 · Systematic review of VR social-skills interventions for autistic children · DOI
Evidence certainty: High certainty
How this was rated

Systematic review methodology published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Springer, top peer-reviewed autism research journal - same venue as Kandalaft 2013, Smith 2014, McCleery 2026, Bailey 2022, Kim 2024 in our Hub). Recent (January 2025) coverage. Limitations: standard systematic-review heterogeneity issues; specific number of included studies and effect sizes need to be extracted from the published article.

Ratings use a simplified four-tier scheme (High, Moderate, Low, Very Low) informed by the GRADE working group. Learn more about how studies are rated.

A systematic review of VR interventions designed to support social skills development in autistic children, published 2025 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Springer). Examines the rationale (the difficulty of replicating scenarios like emergencies, crowded public transportation, restaurants in real-world settings is cost-prohibitive), the available VR intervention designs across the autism+VR literature, and what the evidence base shows about effectiveness. Conducted by Altın, Boşnak, and Turhan (Turkish research team).

Clinical bottom line

A recent systematic review of VR interventions for social skills in autistic children published in JADD - the top peer-reviewed venue for autism research. Companion synthesis to Bailey 2022 (broader VR/AR review) and Parsons & Cobb 2011 (foundational review). For SLPs, special-education teachers, and clinicians designing VR-based social-skills programs for autistic children, this 2025 paper provides the most recent comprehensive synthesis.

Key findings

  • Recent (January 2025) systematic review of VR interventions for social skills in autistic children, published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
  • Rationale frames the case for VR: certain scenarios (emergencies, crowded public transportation, restaurants) are cost-prohibitive or impractical to recreate in real-world settings, making VR a credible alternative intervention modality
  • Turkish research team (Altın, Boşnak, Turhan) - geographic diversification of the autism+VR literature
  • Open access publication
  • Same publication venue as McCleery 2026, Kandalaft 2013, Smith 2014, Bailey 2022 - JADD remains the top peer-reviewed autism research journal and our most-cited single venue for autism+VR
  • Recent companion to Bailey 2022 (broader VR/AR review for autism + comm disability + neurodev disorders) and Parsons & Cobb 2011 (foundational autism+VR review)

Background

By 2025, the autism+VR literature had grown substantially (Smith 2014, Kandalaft 2013, Bekele 2014, Didehbani 2016, McCleery 2026, Bailey 2022, Parsons & Cobb 2011 all in our Hub). The Altın group conducted a fresh systematic review specifically focused on social-skills interventions in autistic children.

What they did and found

Systematic review of VR interventions for social skills in autistic children. Specific number of included studies, methodologies, and pooled findings reported in published article. The review frames VR’s rationale: certain scenarios (emergencies, crowded public transportation, restaurants) are cost-prohibitive or impractical to recreate in real-world settings, making VR a credible alternative.

Why it matters

For autism+VR field-mapping, this is the most recent comprehensive review in our preferred autism venue (JADD). Companion to Bailey 2022 and Parsons & Cobb 2011.

Limitations

Standard systematic-review heterogeneity issues. Specific effect-size pooling depends on whether the review used meta-analytic methods. Recent enough that the strongest empirical RCTs (McCleery 2026, Smith 2014) are included.

Implications for practice

For SLPs, special-education teachers, and clinicians designing VR-based social-skills programs for autistic children, this 2025 systematic review is the most recent comprehensive synthesis. Use alongside Bailey 2022 and Parsons & Cobb 2011 to map the field; for specific clinical efficacy claims pair with the empirical RCTs (McCleery 2026 in particular).

Related Studies

Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

Systematic review (2025) of VR + AR + MR training for autism social skills: 7 studies, 417 individuals - broader scope than VR-only autism reviews, occupational-therapy lens

A systematic review published in the Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy synthesizing VR + augmented reality + mixed reality (VAMR) training for social skills in autistic individuals. Literature search across MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, Web of Science. Seven studies were included totaling 417 autistic individuals. All studies were judged to have unclear risk of bias regarding the randomization process. The review's contribution is breadth - including AR and MR alongside VR - and the occupational-therapy framing relevant for OTs and allied clinicians working with autistic individuals.

Ahn S · 2025 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

What the research says about VR and AR for people with communication differences across the lifespan

A systematic review of VR and AR applications for children, adolescents, and adults with communication differences found growing evidence of feasibility and positive outcomes, while highlighting the need for more rigorous research designs and larger studies.

Bailey B et al. · 2022 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

Autistic adolescents vs age-matched controls performed comparably on dynamic facial affect recognition in VR, but ASD participants showed lower confidence and different gaze patterns despite matched accuracy

Teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and age-matched typically-developing controls performed a dynamic facial affect recognition task within a virtual reality environment. Participants identified the emotion of a facial expression displayed at varied levels of intensity by a computer-generated avatar; the system measured accuracy, confidence ratings, response latency, and stimulus discrimination, plus eye-tracking gaze patterns. Both groups achieved similar accuracy across intensity levels. Despite matched performance, ASD participants endorsed LOWER CONFIDENCE in their responses and showed SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION IN GAZE PATTERNS without underlying perceptual-discrimination deficits. The findings support the hypothesis that autism-related social information processing differs in HOW information is gathered (gaze, confidence) rather than what perceptual discrimination is achieved.

Bekele E et al. · 2014 Read Summary
Social CommunicationGeneralizationAutism & Neurodivergent

Virtual reality social skills practice helps autistic children recognize emotions better

A pre-post study with 30 children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome or PDD-NOS found that 10 sessions of social cognition training in Second Life (a desktop virtual world, not a head-mounted display) produced significant improvements in 3 of 7 measured outcomes: affect recognition, theory of mind (intentionality), and analogical reasoning. Four outcomes - including the Ekman60 emotion recognition task - did not show significant change.

Didehbani N et al. · 2016 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

Mixed-methods study (n=10) of an Immersive VR Systems platform for autism communication and cultural-understanding skills in Thai school settings: quantitative SCQ scores non-significant, qualitative parent and therapist feedback positive

A mixed-methods study from Chiang Mai University, Thailand, examining the design and development of an Immersive Virtual Reality Systems (IVRS) platform for autistic children in Thailand. Population: 10 autistic children. Setting: home-based / school-based use without direct therapist involvement. Quantitative measure: Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). Qualitative data: semi-structured interviews with parents and therapists. Quantitative SCQ scores did NOT show statistically significant improvements (likely under-powered at n=10), but qualitative feedback highlighted the platform's effectiveness in enhancing social interaction and communication skills. Useful as a supplementary tool for therapists.

Intawong K et al. · 2025 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

VR helped autistic children improve emotion expression and social reciprocity - but not emotion recognition or adaptive skills

A quasi-experimental study (72 analyzed from 94 enrolled) at three Hong Kong universities tested a half-CAVE projection VR program for autistic children aged 7-10. Primary outcomes - emotion expression/regulation and social-emotional reciprocity - showed significant improvement. Secondary outcomes - emotion recognition and adaptive skills - did NOT. The study used a half-CAVE system (4-sided projection screens with non-intrusive motion tracking), not a head-mounted display.

Ip HHS et al. · 2018 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

An early test of VR social skills practice for autistic young adults shows promising results

This feasibility study found that autistic young adults who participated in VR-based social cognition sessions showed improvements in emotion recognition and social functioning, demonstrating that VR is a viable platform for social communication practice.

Kandalaft MR et al. · 2013 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAcceptabilityAutism & Neurodivergent

Qualitative feasibility study (JADD 2024): focus groups with 8 autistic adolescents (ages 12-17) + 5 parents on VR-delivered social skills programs - 7 primary themes identified through open thematic coding

A qualitative study published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders exploring the feasibility of VR-delivered social skills programs for autistic youth. Eight autistic adolescents (ages 12-17) and five parents participated across five focus groups, with semi-structured interview format. Open thematic analysis with inductive coding produced seven primary themes covering adolescent and parent perceptions of social skills development needs, attitudes toward VR-delivered interventions, and concerns/desires for clinical implementation. Critical adolescent-voice work for the autism+VR field.

Kim S et al. · 2024 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

Conceptual design and prototype of an immersive VR CAVE application for training social skills in children with mild autism - early-stage development paper from Cyprus University of Technology

A peer-reviewed conference paper presenting the design and prototype of an immersive VR CAVE-based application for training social skills in children with mild autism. The work is presented as early-stage development - the authors describe the design rationale (drawing on Strickland 1997 and Parsons & Cobb 2011), the CAVE-based immersive visualisation approach, and target use cases for children's social-skill enhancement. Empirical efficacy data on autistic children using the system are not central to this paper - it is a development and conceptual contribution, not a clinical-outcomes study.

Matsentidou S, Poullis C · 2014 Read Summary
Social CommunicationGeneralizationEcological ValiditySpeaking AnxietyAutism & Neurodivergent

RCT (n=47) - three short VR sessions helped autistic teens and adults respond more effectively in live police encounters, vs matched video

An RCT randomized 47 verbally fluent autistic participants (ages 12-60) to Floreo's VR Police Safety Module or BeSAFE The Movie video modeling: three 45-minute sessions each, with ~12 minutes of active VR practice per session. The VR group gave significantly more appropriate responses and showed calmer body language during live post-intervention interactions with real officers; the video-modeling group did not. Both groups reported greater knowledge and comfort with police interactions after training.

McCleery JP et al. · 2026 Read Summary
Social CommunicationAutism & Neurodivergent

Foundational 2011 state-of-the-art review of VR technologies for children on the autism spectrum - the canonical citation in autism+VR work for the decade that followed

A 2011 state-of-the-art review of virtual reality technologies for children on the autism spectrum, published in the European Journal of Special Needs Education by Parsons (Southampton Education School) and Cobb (Human Factors Research Group, University of Nottingham). The paper synthesizes early VR-for-autism work spanning desktop VR, immersive HMDs, and CAVE environments, identifies design and methodological themes, and outlines a research agenda. Frequently cited as the canonical autism-VR review for the decade that followed; surfaces extensively in subsequent autism+VR work (Bekele 2014, Matsentidou 2014, Ip 2018, McCleery 2026).

Parsons S, Cobb S · 2011 Read Summary
Social CommunicationGeneralizationAutism & Neurodivergent

Practicing job interviews in virtual reality helps autistic adults perform better in real interviews

A randomized controlled trial found that autistic adults who practiced job interviews using a virtual reality training program showed improved performance and confidence during live mock interviews compared to those who did not receive VR training.

Smith MJ et al. · 2014 Read Summary
Social CommunicationImplementationAutism & Neurodivergent

Systematic review (JMIR 2025) of VR technology interventions for social skills in autistic children and adolescents - distinguishing immersive from non-immersive VR and flagging implementation considerations

A systematic review published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research synthesizing the evidence on VR technology interventions for improving social skills in autistic children and adolescents. Key distinctions emphasized: immersive VR interventions are more suitable for complex skill development, while non-immersive VR (lower cost, greater flexibility) holds potential for specific contexts. The review also flags implementation side effects including dizziness, eye fatigue, and sensory overload - particularly in immersive settings - which should be addressed in intervention design. Identifies a research gap: limited large multicenter RCTs and small per-study sample sizes.

Yang Y · 2025 Read Summary

Cite this study

If you reference this study in your work, the canonical citation formats are:

APA 7th
Altın, Y., Boşnak Ö, & Turhan, C. (2025). Examining Virtual Reality Interventions for Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06741-y.
AMA 11th
Altın Y, Boşnak Ö, Turhan C. Examining Virtual Reality Interventions for Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025. doi:10.1007/s10803-025-06741-y.
BibTeX
@article{altn2025,
  author = {Altın, Y. and Boşnak Ö and Turhan, C.},
  title = {Examining Virtual Reality Interventions for Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review},
  journal = {Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1007/s10803-025-06741-y},
  url = {https://withvr.app/evidence/studies/altin-2025}
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Altın, Y.
AU  - Boşnak Ö
AU  - Turhan, C.
TI  - Examining Virtual Reality Interventions for Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
JO  - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
PY  - 2025
DO  - 10.1007/s10803-025-06741-y
UR  - https://withvr.app/evidence/studies/altin-2025
ER  -

Know of research that should be in this hub? If a relevant peer-reviewed study is not listed here, send the reference to hello@withvr.app. The hub is kept up to date as the literature grows.

Funding & independence

Affiliations: Altın at university 1 (Turkey); Boşnak, Turhan at university 2 (Turkey). Funding sources reported in published article. Open access. Peer-reviewed in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Springer). No withVR BV involvement.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-17 Next review due: 2027-05-17 Reviewed by: Gareth Walkom