Virtual Reality as a Mediating Tool in Addressing Social Communication Disorder: Current Understanding and Implementation Strategies

Social Communication Disorder (SCD) involves persistent verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties, significantly impacting children and adolescents’ social interactions. Traditional interventions, while valuable, face practical limitations, including difficulties replicating real-world social contexts and low engagement among some learners. This paper examines Virtual Reality (VR) as an innovative intervention tool for SCD through a comprehensive review of empirical studies (2010–2024). Analysis of 11 peer-reviewed studies, encompassing both autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-specific and broader SCD populations, revealed five key themes being discussed in the current literature: usability and acceptability, social skills training, gaze and attention tracking, measurement and assessment, and applications in inclusive education. Our findings demonstrate VR’s potential as a mediating tool between therapeutic interventions and real-world social interactions, offering controlled yet naturalistic environments that enable safe, structured practice while maintaining engagement. The alignment with cognitive science principles enhances learning processes through effective management of cognitive demands. Building on these findings, we propose implementation strategies for educational and therapeutic settings, addressing design considerations, delivery methods, and outcome evaluation. This synthesis advances the understanding of VR as an innovative, scalable approach to supporting social communication development in children and adolescents.