VR headsets can be life-changing for people with intellectual disabilities

Immersive virtual reality could open up a whole new world for people with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to learn practical life skills much faster without having to rely on caregivers, according to a new study.

Australian researchers compared the effectiveness of immersive VR headsets and non-immersive virtual environments to teach 36 adults with intellectual disabilities how to separate general waste from recycling, gardening and food organics.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia and UNSW Sydney, involved twelve virtual training sessions. The VR group that used the immersive head-mounted displays performed significantly better in real life than those who used a tablet for training.

The findings have been published in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research.

UniSA Associate Professor Tobias Loetscher says people with intellectual disabilities need extra time to understand and visualize concepts, and VR headsets allowed participants to experience realistic worlds and learn from hands-on experiences.

“Research shows that ‘learning by doing’, also called experiential learning, appears to be more effective for this group compared to passive learning methods,” says Assoc Prof. Loetscher.

“In our study, the VR group not only demonstrated real-world improvements in correctly sorting waste immediately after VR training; they were able to maintain this improvement for up to a week afterward, compared to the non-immersive group.”

UNSW Research Fellow Dr. Stefan Michalski says immersive virtual reality allows individuals to experience activities in a safe, controlled and repeatable environment.

“Opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to participate in hands-on learning are often minimal due to concerns about the risk of injury, time constraints and a lack of staff training,” says Dr. Michalsky.

“However, immersive VR simulates real-world experiences, creating the feeling of being physically present in an environment without real-world risks.”

Most people with intellectual disabilities experience significant challenges performing basic life skills such as cooking, showering, and cleaning without the assistance of a caregiver.

“Difficulties in performing these life skills prevent them from living independently and enjoying a better quality of life, so it is important that we find effective methods to develop life skills in this population,” said first author, UniSA honors student Andrew Franze.

Cybersickness has been identified as a possible downside to using 3D headsets for training, but only one person in the VR group reported feeling dizzy and their symptoms were short-lived.

Most participants found VR technology enjoyable, despite some hesitation when using head-mounted displays for the first time.

The researchers used a waste management task in this study, but say immersive VR training could be used to teach other basic skills such as cooking and kitchen safety, personal hygiene, public transport navigation and social skills.

“There is increasing evidence that VR is useful, but we need to close the gap between research and implementation so that more people can benefit from this technology,” says Dr. Michalsky.

“Our current work aims to address the unmet health needs of people with intellectual disabilities by using VR to prepare individuals for healthcare interactions, reducing the fear and anxiety associated with going to the doctor .”