Interactive Virtual Reality Skill Enhancer for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities: A Mixed Methods Study

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disabilities (ID) are developmental conditions affecting a person’s learning, communication and behavioral abilities. Children with ASD and ID face various challenges in their day-to-day lives, such as difficulties in social interaction, being dependent on caretakers for daily activities, etc. To tackle this problem, we have developed an Interactive Skills Enhancer (ISE), which is a VR based learning tool designed to assist children with ASD and ID in developing essential life skills such as social and everyday skills with the help of an immersive and safe environment. Using the benefits of an immersive environment, our project aims to help the children with special needs by providing a safe, engaging, and easily adaptable learning environment where the children can practice various real-world scenarios made for their needs. The system focuses on helping the children learn essential tasks such as cooking, interacting with others and communicating through sign language. This innovative tool is made to address the challenges faced in traditional learning and skill-building methods, offering a scalable, effective, and inclusive approach to empowering children with ASD and ID to help them achieve greater independence and social competence.