Daily Life Adaptation in Autism: A Co-Design Framework for the Validation of Virtual Reality Experiential Training Systems

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder often experience distress or discomfort when facing changes in daily routines, particularly during major transitions such as beginning attendance at a Day Activity Center. To address this challenge, we designed and developed a virtual reality system based on an interactive digital twin of an actual center. The application allows users to explore the environment and engage in typical daily activities through repeated exposures in an immersive, caregiver-guided virtual setting, following an experiential training approach. The current study presents a method for validating the system, conducted with individuals formally diagnosed with Autism at DSM-5 Level 1 and currently attending the center, within a user-centered co-design framework. The results indicate that the system is both usable and suitable for the target population, and the caregiver’s presence is perceived as important for an enjoyable and supportive experience. The proposed framework can be adapted to other use cases and used for the validation of virtual reality systems for people on the spectrum at different levels.