Immersive virtual reality could open up a whole new world for people with intellectual disabilities, enabling them to learn practical life skills much faster without relying on caregivers, a new study suggests.

Australian researchers compared the effectiveness of immersive VR headsets and non-immersive virtual environments to teach 36 adults with intellectual disabilities how to separate regular garbage from recycling, garden and food waste.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia and UNSW Sydney, included 12 virtual training sessions. The VR group that used the immersive head-mounted displays performed significantly better in real life than the group that used a tablet device for training.

The results were published in Journal of Research on Intellectual Disability.

Tobias Loetscher, associate professor at UniSA, says that people with intellectual disabilities need more time to grasp and visualize concepts. The VR headsets allowed participants to experience realistic worlds and learn from hands-on experiences.

“Research shows that ‘learning by doing’, also known as experiential learning, appears to be more effective for this group than passive learning methods,” says Associate Professor Loetscher.

“In our study, the VR group not only showed real improvements in correct waste separation immediately after VR training; they were also able to maintain this improvement for up to one week afterwards compared to the non-immersive group.”

Dr Stefan Michalski, research fellow at UNSW, says immersive virtual reality allows individuals to experience activities in a safe, controlled and repeatable environment.

“Opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to participate in hands-on learning are often minimal due to concerns about the risk of injury, time constraints and lack of staff training,” says Dr. Michalski.

“However, immersive VR simulates real-world experiences and creates the feeling of being physically present in an environment without any real risks.”

For most people with intellectual disabilities, performing basic daily skills such as cooking, showering and cleaning without the help of a caregiver is a major challenge.

“Difficulties in practicing these life skills prevent them from living independently and enjoying a better quality of life. Therefore, it is important that we find effective methods to develop the life skills of this population,” said lead author and UniSA honors student Andrew Franze.

Cybersickness has been suggested as a potential disadvantage of using 3D headsets for training, but only one person in the VR group reported dizziness and the symptoms were short-lived.

Most participants found VR technology enjoyable, despite some concerns about using head-mounted displays for the first time.

The researchers used a waste management task in this study, but say immersive VR training could be used to teach other basic skills such as cooking and kitchen safety, personal hygiene, navigating public transportation, and social skills.

“There is growing evidence that VR is beneficial, but we need to close the gap between research and implementation so that more people can benefit from this technology,” says Dr. Michalski.

“Our current work aims to address the unmet health needs of people with intellectual disabilities by using VR to prepare people for interactions with healthcare, thereby reducing the fear and anxiety associated with visiting the doctor.”