The Effectiveness of Extended Reality Technology Interventions on Vocational Skills for Individuals with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: A Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Extended reality (XR) technology has emerged as a promising tool for vocational training by providing controlled, customizable learning environments. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of XR-based interventions in improving vocational skills for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID).

METHOD: A meta-analysis was conducted on 26 eligible studies (N = 642) employing pre-post experimental or controlled experimental designs, selected from an initial pool of 3,52 articles. Moderators included: (1) participants' characteristics (disorder type, age, intelligence quotient, and co-occurring conditions), (2) technical characteristics (level of immersion and human-computer interaction), (3) intervention characteristics (assistance from human interventionist, intervention form, intervention intensity, including frequency, single-session duration, intervention period, total sessions, total duration), (4) target skills, and (5) measurement characteristics (evaluation methods and measurement tools).

RESULTS

We found: (1) XR-based interventions demonstrated a medium overall effect size (SMD = 0.73, 95% CI [0.59, 0.87]) for vocational skills training among individuals with ASD and ID. (2) Based on the results of statistical power analysis, subgroup analyses were conducted for target skill types. We found interventions targeting employment outcomes showed significantly lower effect sizes than those targeting job hard skills, job soft skills, and adaptive psychological traits. Additionally, interventions targeting maladaptive psychological traits were significantly less effective than those targeting job soft skills. (3) Based on results of statistical power analysis, meta-regression was conducted for single-session duration and revealed no significant moderating effect.

CONCLUSION

XR-based interventions show promise for improving vocational skills among individuals with ASD and ID, with effectiveness moderated by target skills. This meta-analysis highlights that improving employment for individuals with ASD and ID requires a multi-layered approach. We need to integrate technology optimization with inclusive policies and employment support.