The effects of an augmented reality (AR)-based application intervention on verb vocabulary acquisition in children with autism spectrum disorder

This study examined the effects of an Augmented Reality (AR)-based language intervention on verb acquisition, task engagement, generalization, and maintenance in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Three children with ASD participated in a multiple-baseline across participants design. The intervention included an AR application, most-to-least prompting, and reinforcement with picture cards, delivered twice weekly for 10-minute sessions. Each session presented 20 daily-life verbs in random order, and responses were recorded. Task engagement was measured using 10-second whole-interval recording, and treatment fidelity was monitored by trained observers. All participants showed improved verb acquisition and engagement during intervention compared to baseline, and these gains were maintained in generalization and maintenance phases. The AR application’s audiovisual features enhanced attention, while the prompting strategy supported independent verbal responses. Findings suggest that AR-based interventions can serve as effective tools for supporting language development in children with ASD.