Effectiveness of a Virtual Reality Social Skills Intervention in Autism

NCT07678333 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UKM PPI/111/8/JEP-2021-092
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 52
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether the MyRAKAN Autism module, which integrates video modelling and spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR), can improve social communication skills in autistic young adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the MyRAKAN Autism module improve social responsiveness and social communication skills in autistic young adults? Does the MyRAKAN Autism module improve autism-related characteristics, anxiety, and quality of life? Researchers will compare participants who receive the MyRAKAN Autism intervention immediately with participants in a delayed-treatment control group to determine whether the intervention leads to greater improvements in these outcomes. Participants will: Complete baseline assessments of autism characteristics, social communication, anxiety, and quality of life. Be randomly assigned to either the immediate treatment group or the delayed-treatment control group. Attend eight intervention sessions over five weeks, consisting of video modelling and spherical video-based virtual reality (SVVR) social skills practice (treatment group), or wait six weeks before receiving the same intervention (control group). Complete post-intervention assessments and a questionnaire on any side effects.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder High-Functioning; Young Adults

Keywords

Autism Level 1; Social Communication; Social Skills Training; Video Modelling; Spherical Video-Based Virtual Reality (SVVR)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Changes in Social Responsiveness

  Social responsiveness refers to an individual's ability to perceive, interpret, and respond appropriately to social cues during interpersonal interactions. It encompasses the reciprocal aspects of social behaviour required for successful communication and relationship building, including social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, and the regulation of restricted and repetitive behaviours that affect social functioning. In autism research, social responsiveness is commonly measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2), with higher scores indicating greater impairment in reciprocal social behaviour.

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the 5-week intervention (Week 5).

• Changes in Social Communication Skills

  Social communication skills refer to the ability to effectively use verbal and non-verbal communication to initiate, maintain, and appropriately conclude social interactions. These skills involve understanding and responding to social cues, interpreting others' thoughts and emotions, engaging in reciprocal conversations, and adapting communication according to different social contexts and interpersonal relationships. In this study, social communication skills encompass a range of practical behaviours taught through the MyRAKAN Autism module, including appropriate eye contact, smiling, maintaining physical boundaries, regulating voice volume, initiating conversations, interpreting others' responses, handling rejection, maintaining two-way conversations, and ending conversations appropriately. Social communication skills are primarily assessed using the Social Communication subscale of the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2).

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the 5-week intervention (Week 5).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Changes in Anxiety

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the 5-week intervention (Week 5).

• Changes in Quality of Life

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the 5-week intervention (Week 5).

Study Arms (2)

MyRakan Autism Module Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The MyRakan Autism group went through 5 physical sessions of watching videos (VM) and 3 physical sessions of skill rehearsals using SVVR. They watched videos on a PC Desktop Intel(R) Core i7 Dell HP, Full HD 1920 x 1080 screen. They experienced the SVVR by wearing Meta Quest 2 VR headset. Each participant came once a week, one hour each session, for 5 consecutive weeks to complete all the sessions.

Behavioral: MyRakan Autism

Waitlist Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The control group went through pre-test, waited for treatment for six weeks and administered the post-test at the seventh week. At the eighth week, they underwent the training in the same procedure to those in the TX group for five weeks.

Behavioral: MyRakan Autism

Interventions

MyRakan Autism BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive the MyRAKAN Autism social communication training module over five weeks, comprising eight face-to-face sessions (five video modelling sessions and three spherical video-based virtual reality \[SVVR\] practice sessions). The intervention integrates cognitive and behavioural techniques, including psychoeducation, modelling, first-person and third-person perspectives, deep breathing, and behavioural rehearsal. The module teaches and allows participants to practise key social communication skills, including smiling, maintaining appropriate physical boundaries, eye contact, voice volume, initiating conversations, interpreting others' responses, handling rejection, maintaining two-way conversations, and appropriately ending conversations. Video modelling is delivered on a desktop computer, while behavioural rehearsal is conducted using a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset with immersive 360-degree social scenarios. Each session lasts approximately one hour and is delive

MyRakan Autism Module Intervention; Waitlist Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 24 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• \) diagnosed with Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder (Level 1) by a mental health professional or developmental pediatrician; 2) aged between 18 to 24; 3) capable of conversing in English or Malay.

You may not qualify if:

• \) no official diagnosis by a mental health professional or developmental pediatrician

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National University of Malaysia: lead
• Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hospital Chancellor Tuanku Muhriz

Kuala Lumpur, 56000, Malaysia

Location

Related Publications (6)

• Rieske, R. D., Babbitt, S. C., Neal, J. H. & Spencer, J. A. 2017. Informed Consent. In J. Matson (Ed.), Handbook of Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61738-1_5

  BACKGROUND

• Pallant, J. 2011. SPSS Survival Manual: A Step-By-Step Guide to Data Analysis Using the SPSS Program. Berkshire: Allen & Unwin.

  BACKGROUND

• Grisso, T. & Appelbaum, P. S. 1998. Assessing Competence to Consent to Treatment. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Note: the reference list in your document spells the author as "Applebaum," but the correct spelling is "Appelbaum.")

  BACKGROUND

• Constantino, J. N. 2012. Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS™-2). Torrance, CA: WPS Publication

  BACKGROUND

• Bruni, T. P. 2014. Test Review: Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (SRS-2). Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 32(4): 365-369. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282913517525

  BACKGROUND

• American Psychiatric Association. 2000. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Communication

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: They were randomized into two groups: treatment (TX; n=26) and delayed treatment control (DTC; n=26) using Microsoft Excel witnessed by 4 members of the research group. The treatment group went through 5 physical sessions of watching videos (VM) and 3 physical sessions of skill rehearsals using SVVR. They watched videos on a PC Desktop Intel(R) Core i7 Dell HP, Full HD 1920 x 1080 screen. They experienced the SVVR by wearing Meta Quest 2 VR headset. Each participant came once a week, one hour each session, for 5 consecutive weeks to complete all the sessions.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 25, 2026
• First Posted: July 1, 2026
• Study Start: June 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: September 15, 2024
• Study Completion: January 10, 2025
• Last Updated: July 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

MY (1)