Speech and Language Therapists’ Perspectives of Virtual Reality as a Clinical Tool for Autism: Cross-Sectional Survey

While some speech and language therapists perceive VR as a promising intervention tool for autistic children, various barriers must be addressed before its full integration into the clinical toolkit. This study establishes a foundation for future co-design, development, and implementation of VR applications as clinical tools for autistic children., This study is the first to explore clinical implementation factors for the use of VR in SLT field, specifically with autistic children. Poor autism-specific VR knowledge, and mixed attitudes toward VR, highlight that specific barriers must be addressed before the technology can successfully integrate into the SLT clinical toolkit., Speech and language therapists require support from employers, funding, a robust neuro-affirming evidence base, and education and training to adopt VR into practice. Recommendations for a SLT VR education and training program for use with autistic children, are provided.