NCT07341204

How Virtual Reality Can Help Neurodivergent Children Improve Their Attention

Improvement of Sustained Attention Through Immersive Virtual Reality in Neurodivergent Children

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: New York Institute of Technology · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 9 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this study is to determine whether playing a virtual reality (VR) game can help neurodivergent children pay attention for extended periods. The study includes children ages 9 to 18 who have autism, ADHD, learning differences, or movement coordination challenges. The program lasts for 6 weeks. During this period, children will play a VR game twice per week, with each session lasting 25 minutes.

Detailed description

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to investigate the impact of an immersive virtual reality (VR) game intervention on sustained attention in neurodivergent children aged 9 to 18 years. This project aligns with previous study dosages designed as a 6-week program targeting children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorder (SLD), or developmental coordination disorder (DCD) (neurodivergent disorders). Participants will be recruited through convenience sampling in the local community and will participate in two 25-minute VR sessions per week for 6 weeks. This study examines the effectiveness of a VR-based attention-training program by comparing pre- and post-intervention data using the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) and the Right Eye assessment. Repeated-measures ANOVA will be used to evaluate changes in sustained attention, including omission rates and response times. The findings will provide insight into how immersive VR games can enhance attention and engagement in daily activities among neurodivergent children, thereby facilitating the integration of technology-based interventions into therapeutic practice.

Conditions

• Autism
• Autism Disorder
• ADHD - Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity
• Attention Deficit Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Virtual Reality	Participants will engage in an immersive virtual reality (VR) game intervention designed to improve visual attention skills. The intervention employs a VR game called Electrical Maze, which requires players to maintain sustained visual attention and respond to game challenges that develop focus and inhibitory control. Each participant will complete scheduled VR gaming sessions that target attentional skill development. During the sessions, children interact with the Electrical Maze game, which presents visual tasks that require them to identify and respond to specific visual cues while inhibiting responses to non-target stimuli.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-02-02
• Primary completion: 2026-03-27
• Completion: 2026-04-06
• First posted: 2026-01-14
• Last updated: 2026-01-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States