How Virtual Reality Can Help Neurodivergent Children Improve Their Attention (Attend-VR)

January 6, 2026 updated by: New York Institute of Technology

Improvement of Sustained Attention Through Immersive Virtual Reality in Neurodivergent Children

The goal of this study is to determine whether playing a virtual reality (VR) game can help neurodivergent children pay attention for extended periods. The study includes children ages 9 to 18 who have autism, ADHD, learning differences, or movement coordination challenges. The program lasts for 6 weeks. During this period, children will play a VR game twice per week, with each session lasting 25 minutes.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to investigate the impact of an immersive virtual reality (VR) game intervention on sustained attention in neurodivergent children aged 9 to 18 years. This project aligns with previous study dosages designed as a 6-week program targeting children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorder (SLD), or developmental coordination disorder (DCD) (neurodivergent disorders). Participants will be recruited through convenience sampling in the local community and will participate in two 25-minute VR sessions per week for 6 weeks.

This study examines the effectiveness of a VR-based attention-training program by comparing pre- and post-intervention data using the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) and the Right Eye assessment. Repeated-measures ANOVA will be used to evaluate changes in sustained attention, including omission rates and response times. The findings will provide insight into how immersive VR games can enhance attention and engagement in daily activities among neurodivergent children, thereby facilitating the integration of technology-based interventions into therapeutic practice.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

40

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 Contact

  • Name: Alexander Lopez, JD, OT/L
  • Phone Number: 16312525776
  • Email: alopez@nyit.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • Old Westbury, New York, United States, 11568-8000
        • Inclusive Sports and Fitness, Inc.
        • Contact:

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

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Clinical diagnosis of ASD, ADHD, SLD, or DCD confirmed by a licensed clinician or documented in medical/educational records (DSM-5 or equivalent).
  • Parent/guardian consent and participant assent (age-appropriate).
  • Ability to follow simple verbal instructions and to participate in 25-minute VR sessions twice weekly for 6 weeks.
  • Stable medication regimen for attention- or behavior-related medications for ≥4 weeks prior to baseline (or not taking such medications).
  • Visual and auditory ability adequate for VR tasks (with or without usual corrective lenses/hearing aids).
  • Availability to attend all scheduled sessions at the clinical site across the 6-week period.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of photosensitive epilepsy or any uncontrolled seizure disorder.
  • Severe intellectual disability or severe communication impairment that prevents understanding/participation (e.g., non-responsive to simple commands required by the VR tasks).
  • Severe visual, auditory, or motor impairment that prevents safe or functional use of the VR system (e.g., inability to hold controllers or view the headset even with correction).
  • Recent (within 6 months) significant brain injury or neurosurgery. Significant history of motion sickness, severe vestibular disorder, or prior intolerance to immersive VR.
  • Any medical or implanted device contraindicated for VR/headset use (if applicable).

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Does participation in a 6-week VR-based program improve attentional skills in neurodiverse children?
The research design comprises a nonequivalent quasi-experimental, multi-group pre- and post-test design (neurodivergent and neurotypical). The pre-test and post-test will consist of the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) and the RightEye assessment. These measures will be administered at the clinical site (ISF). The intervention consists of two 25-minute VR sessions per week for 6 weeks.
Behavioral: Virtual Reality

Participants will engage in an immersive virtual reality (VR) game intervention designed to improve visual attention skills. The intervention employs a VR game called Electrical Maze, which requires players to maintain sustained visual attention and respond to game challenges that develop focus and inhibitory control.

Each participant will complete scheduled VR gaming sessions that target attentional skill development. During the sessions, children interact with the Electrical Maze game, which presents visual tasks that require them to identify and respond to specific visual cues while inhibiting responses to non-target stimuli.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
RightEye Assessment:
Time Frame: Individual tests: 60 seconds (e.g., saccades) to 4-5 minutes (e.g., reaction time or pursuit tasks). Total session: 15-20 minutes, including 1-2 minutes for 9-point calibration and setup.
The RightEye system uses an infrared camera-based sensor bar attached to a monitor to objectively measure and analyze eye movements in real-time. It quantifies changes in attention-related oculomotor functions, including saccadic accuracy, smooth pursuit, reaction time, distractibility, and sustained attention. These metrics provide objective biomarkers for inattention and impulsivity, supporting occupational therapy goals of enhancing visual-motor integration, executive function, and participation in daily activities like reading or classroom engagement.
Individual tests: 60 seconds (e.g., saccades) to 4-5 minutes (e.g., reaction time or pursuit tasks). Total session: 15-20 minutes, including 1-2 minutes for 9-point calibration and setup.
Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA)
Time Frame: Standard visual test: 21.6 minutes (4 quarters of 5.4 minutes). Full session: 30-45 minutes (setup/review); short form for younger children (10.8 minutes; used for ages 9+).
The TOVA objectively measures sustained attention and inhibitory control via responses to visual stimuli (targets vs. non-targets). In this study, the visual TOVA will assess pre- and post-VR changes in attention in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, targeting omission errors, commission errors, response time, and response time variability.
Standard visual test: 21.6 minutes (4 quarters of 5.4 minutes). Full session: 30-45 minutes (setup/review); short form for younger children (10.8 minutes; used for ages 9+).

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

New York Institute of Technology

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 (Estimated)

February 2, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 27, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 6, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 6, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • NYIT IRB-2026-367

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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.

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