Can VR help kids with autism learn social cues?
NCT ID NCT07505901
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a virtual reality program where children with autism watch avatars of themselves doing social behaviors like making eye contact and then practice those behaviors. 75 children aged 6-11 will be split into three groups: one gets the VR training, one gets standard therapy, and one gets no extra help. The goal is to see if the VR approach improves social communication skills.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual reality self-modeling training
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, accessible way to help children with autism improve social communication skills like eye contact and joint attention.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study. The VR approach may not be more effective than standard therapy, and results may not apply to all children with autism.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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6 to 11 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 6-11 years * Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder according to DSM-5 criteria * Meeting ASD classification on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) * Ability to produce simple sentence-level speech * Eye contact score of 2 on ADOS-2 assessment * Gesture use score ≥1 on ADOS-2 assessment * Written informed consent obtained from parents or legal guardians Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of epilepsy or other chronic neurological disorders * Presence of significant medical conditions that may interfere with participation in the intervention * Intellectual disability (IQ ≤70 on WISC-R assessment) * Known visual or hearing impairment that may affect participation in the assessments * Presence of physical disabilities that interfere with gesture use or participation in the intervention
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Inonu University Turgut Ozal Medical Center Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Malatya, Turkey (Türkiye)
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Trabzon Kanuni Training and Research Hospital Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Trabzon, Turkey (Türkiye)
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