Design of virtual reality-based video modelling intervention in adapting to a new school environment for autistic children

Ang, Yi Ling (2025) Design of virtual reality-based video modelling intervention in adapting to a new school environment for autistic children. Master dissertation/thesis, UTAR.

PDF Download (2020Kb)

Abstract

A personalised support that applies Virtual Reality (VR) in Video Modelling (VM) designed as an augmentative support to help autistic children adapt to new schools. Difficulties during the school transitions were identified, as they often face adaptation issues. Point-of-view VM demonstrates behaviours from the child's perspective for imitation. A customisable Virtual Reality Video Modelling support was designed in this research to address school adaptation, presenting appropriate learning behaviours in a class, and the proper way of making new friends. The immersive experience, facilitated by Google Cardboard Goggles, aimed to attract children. Additionally, the customisation feature allowed parents to customise the classroom’s background and furniture settings to enhance virtual school realism. The input of actual school images and the child’s name in the storylines heightened the immersion of autistic children. A total of 7 participants were involved in the training sessions before iii the opening of the school. The results of the support's performance were identified using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), and the Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC-3). Cohen’s d value to determine the effect size of the personalised support in each scale was calculated as d=1.247 for hyperactivity indicating high effect size, suggesting that autistic children had reduced their hyperactivity in the class; d=0.739 for behavioural symptom index from BASC-3, indicating autistic children are better able to pay attention in the class and reduced abnormal behaviours, and d=0.546 for social awareness from SRS-2, indicating a medium effect where the results show improvement in their understanding of reciprocal social situations.

Actions (login required)