TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of extended reality interventions on core deficits and functional performance among individuals with autism spectrum disorder
T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Sun, Yang Hsiu
AU - Tseng, Sung Hui
AU - Hou, Wen Hsuan
AU - Chen, Hung Chou
AU - Lin, Che Wei
AU - Wang, Yuan Hung
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Background: Recently, extended reality technologies have been increasingly utilized in therapeutic and educational interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of extended reality interventions in addressing core deficits and enhancing functional performance among individuals with ASD. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across six databases—namely, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINHAL, and ERIC—from their inception to August 29, 2024, with no language restrictions. Studies were included if they (1) examined participants diagnosed with ASD; (2) employed an intervention utilizing virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality; (3) used outcome measures related to social functioning, behavior, emotion, cognition, and anxiety; and (4) were published in a peer-review journal. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was employed as the primary effect size indicator, while heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic. Additionally, the quality of the included studies was systematically analyzed. Results: A meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled and 20 non-randomized trials was conducted using a random-effects model. The extended reality intervention resulted in significant improvements in social skills (SMD: 0.59, p = 0.04), behavior (SMD: 0.61, p = 0.004), emotion recognition ability (SMD: 0.86, p = 0.0005), and cognitive ability (SMD: 0.92, p < 0.00001) among individuals with ASD. Conclusion: This study’s findings substantiate the effectiveness of extended reality interventions for addressing core deficits and enhancing functional performance among individuals with ASD. Therefore, the utilization of extended reality in therapeutic and educational interventions for individuals with ASD is both feasible and promising.
AB - Background: Recently, extended reality technologies have been increasingly utilized in therapeutic and educational interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of extended reality interventions in addressing core deficits and enhancing functional performance among individuals with ASD. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across six databases—namely, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINHAL, and ERIC—from their inception to August 29, 2024, with no language restrictions. Studies were included if they (1) examined participants diagnosed with ASD; (2) employed an intervention utilizing virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality; (3) used outcome measures related to social functioning, behavior, emotion, cognition, and anxiety; and (4) were published in a peer-review journal. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was employed as the primary effect size indicator, while heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic. Additionally, the quality of the included studies was systematically analyzed. Results: A meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled and 20 non-randomized trials was conducted using a random-effects model. The extended reality intervention resulted in significant improvements in social skills (SMD: 0.59, p = 0.04), behavior (SMD: 0.61, p = 0.004), emotion recognition ability (SMD: 0.86, p = 0.0005), and cognitive ability (SMD: 0.92, p < 0.00001) among individuals with ASD. Conclusion: This study’s findings substantiate the effectiveness of extended reality interventions for addressing core deficits and enhancing functional performance among individuals with ASD. Therefore, the utilization of extended reality in therapeutic and educational interventions for individuals with ASD is both feasible and promising.
KW - Autism spectrum disorder
KW - Core deficit
KW - Extended reality
KW - Functional performance
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105017400047
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=105017400047&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00787-025-02860-0
DO - 10.1007/s00787-025-02860-0
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:105017400047
SN - 1018-8827
JO - European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
ER -
