VR Intervention to Improve Police Safety
Condition: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autism
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of Floreo's police safety
      module (PSM) in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by assessing
      improvement in police interaction skills as compared to a video modeling intervention.
    

Detailed description: 
      Advances in virtual reality (VR) technology offer new opportunities to design interventions
      targeting the core deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and promote
      acquisition of skills necessary for effective navigation of challenging social situations,
      such as engagement with law enforcement. Researchers have explored the potential of virtual
      reality technology in targeting autism-related deficits, but at this time there are no
      evidence-based VR interventions for ASD. While most research labelled VR for the purposes of
      therapy has not been immersive, in recent years, the commercial introduction of head-mounted
      displays (HMD) and lower cost of virtual reality technology have led to greater interest in
      therapeutic applications of VR. As part of a mission to develop VR products for individuals
      with ASD, investigators will collaborate with a commercial tech start-up company, Floreo
      Technology, to study a mobile VR module for police safety skills. Investigators seek to
      evaluate the safety and feasibility of the mobile VR police safety module (PSM) and the
      effectiveness of the module in improving police interaction skills in adolescents and adults
      with ASD.
    

Intervention name(s): Virtual Reality Intervention; Video Modeling Intervention; No intervention
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Floreo's Police Safety Module (PSM) offers a supervised VR experience for people with ASD. The software is an application that provides a 3D immersive scene for headset-compatible smartphones. The person with ASD will use a smartphone capable of running the application with a dedicated headset providing the virtual environment. The PSM provides an immersive story-based intervention that shows a fully realized and intricately detailed urban environment designed to engage the user in a virtual encounter with a law enforcement officer. The immersive VR environment engages the person with ASD as an actor in a virtual narrative, incorporating strategies from both story-based intervention and video modeling. The video demonstrates the approach and initial engagement efforts of two police officers in the virtual environment, from the perspective of the person wearing the headset. The PSM allows a monitoring therapist to use a tablet or phone to supervise the person's virtual world.; The video modeling intervention is a subset of the BE SAFE The Movie Curriculum Lessons (https://besafethemovie.com/curriculum/) that were selected to match Floreo PSM on length. The BE SAFE The Movie Curriculum consists of video-based instruction on police officer interaction expectations and safety. Within each of three sessions, participants will watch videos, complete worksheets, and discuss topics related to police safety knowledge and behaviors with the study administrator.; Participants will follow all study procedures with the exception of the VR-based intervention including assessments.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Intervention; Technology