A Scoping Review of Studies on Virtual Reality for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

The goals for this scoping review were to evaluate interventions using virtual reality (VR) environments for individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and to discuss these interventions in terms of their educational value. The authors conducted a scoping review of articles examining VR interventions for individuals with IDs. The authors searched seven databases between 2000 and 2019 using virtual reality and intellectual disability/disabilities as search terms. The search yielded 123 articles and 15 articles were reviewed. A search of critical journals in 2020 yielded one additional article for review. Interventions addressed different skills, such as increasing physical activity, teaching letter and number literacy, preparing individuals for court testimony, and learning routes. Researchers need to assess participants for level of cognitive functioning and understand how to modify interventions for individuals with different levels of impairment. Moreover, examining whether interventions are related to improvement of skills in in vivo situations will be important for understanding generalizability of skills. The review revealed positive findings for use of VR interventions, with a need for caregiver support and possible technology support to implement interventions. Using a participatory approach may improve abilities to implement interventions in real-world settings. Directions for future research include examining what interventions work for individuals with different levels of impairment and defining when and how to implement interventions.