Feasibility and Safety of a Virtual-Reality Based Job Interview Training Tool in Teenagers With High-Functioning Autism

August 26, 2026 updated by: Helen Genova, Kessler Foundation
The current project involves the application of a VR job training software. We propose to use an interactive VR job interview practice system, Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT), in youths with ASD at the highschool level. This system was developed to bolster job interview practice skills and to help reduce anxiety in adults with ASD. However, it has never before been used in individuals under the age of 18. Our hope is that if this program is utilized in individuals while they are still in highschool, we can target those persons before the window for which risk of unemployment appears to be highest for ASD youths, immediately after high school graduation.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

12

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New Jersey
      • East Hanover, New Jersey, United States, 07936
        • Kessler Foundation

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

13 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Be between the ages of 13 and 18
  • Have a diagnosis of ASD or a typically developing child
  • Be able to speak and read English fluently

Exclusion Criteria:

  • I had a stroke, TBI, or neurologic injury or disease in the past
  • I have a history of significant psychiatric illness (like bipolar, schizophrenia, or psychosis)
  • I have uncontrolled seizures or other unstable medical complications

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: VR-JIT
Other: VR-JIT
Job interview with virtual interviewer

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mock Interview Rating Scale; MIRS.
Time Frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-Test

The job interview role-plays are video recorded and later coded on 13 domains by trained raters. The domains include: 1. Overall likeliness to be hired, 2. Being confident, 3. Being positive, 4. Being professional, 5. Showing interest, 6. Being honest, 7. Being depend-able/hardworking, 8. Working well with others, 9. Sharing strengths and skills, 10. Sharing relevant past experiences, 11. Sharing how weaknesses have been improved, and 12. Overall rapport with interviewer.

Primary outcomes from the video ratings are the "overall likelihood to be hired" rating as well as a composite score of "inter-viewee performance" (formed by averaging scores for domains 4, 6, 7, and 13) and a composite of "job-relevant performance" (formed by averaging scores for domains 5, 8, and 9). For exploratory analysis, "personal questions" are measured, by averaging scores for domains 10, 11, and 12. A total interview performance score of items 1-13 is included. A higher score indicated better performance.
Baseline, Immediate Post-Test

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Kessler Foundation

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 24, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 24, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

October 24, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 25, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 25, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

February 26, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 26, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R-1036-18

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Subscribe