Experience of Adult Facilitators in a Virtual-Reality-Based Social Interaction Program for Children With Autism

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored and described the experiences and perceptions of adult facilitators who facilitated virtual-reality-based social interaction for children with autism. Extensive data were collected from iterative, in-depth interviews; online activities observation; and video analysis. Four salient themes emerged through the process of data generation, analysis, and comparison of participants: heterogeneity in group-based facilitation, coexistence of virtual and physical interaction spaces, sparkle and out-of-track moments, and pretraining for individualized facilitation. The findings should enrich the research area of technology-enhanced special education by delineating the dynamic processes and patterns of facilitating Internet-based social interactions for children with special needs.