## 5 Discussion
### Social Communication Outcomes  
The limited observable changes in social communication behaviors align with Hypothesis 1 (H1), which proposed that children would demonstrate such behaviors during and after participating in the VR intervention.  
In our short, one-week trial, only one out of four children demonstrated any notable gains in social interaction. Such limited progress is consistent with the literature suggesting that short-term VR interventions often yield minimal changes in real-life social functioning for children with autism. For example, [PERSON] et al. [11] found that while VR experiences can be highly engaging, a brief exposure did not immediately translate into improved social initiation or reciprocity in children on the spectrum. Similarly, studies by [PERSON] et al. and [PERSON] et al. reported mixed or negligible social skills gains after short VR programs (5-6 weeks or less). Based on [PERSON] et al.'s [27] and [PERSON] et al.'s [28] studies, it is also important to mention that both studies did not yield the positive results they had anticipated. Both studies pointed out that one potential reason for this outcome could be the limited duration of the sessions. [PERSON] et al. and [PERSON] et al. suggested that with more time and additional repetitions, the results might have been more favorable. One likely explanation is that social communication behaviors require time and repeated practice to generalize from a virtual environment to everyday settings. In our study, the children enjoyed and participated actively in the VR social story, but most did not start greeting classmates more often or conversing more fluidly in the span of a week. This outcome underscores a point noted by prior researchers: longer and more sustained interventions are often necessary for children with ASD to internalize and apply new social skills outside of therapy sessions. Additionally, the variability in responses among the four students reflects individual differences that are well-documented in ASD intervention studies. Each child with ASD has a unique profile of needs, cognitive abilities, and comfort with technology. The one student (\"[PERSON]\") who showed moderate improvements in communication may have had a predisposition to benefit from the game--for instance, stronger language ability or a higher motivation to interact--whereas the others might require different types of support. This heterogeneity of response is echoed in earlier VR research: some children show clear benefits in social engagement, while others show little change. Regarding verbal communication, while three teachers did not observe any development in students' verbal expression, the teacher of [PERSON] noted moderate improvement. This aligns with prior research indicating potential benefits of VR in enhancing both verbal and non-verbal communication, though such outcomes tend to vary across individuals [16; 17; 18; 19; 21; 22; 23; 24; 26; 36]. It suggests that personalization and sufficient duration are key for VR interventions targeting social skills. An implication for practice is that VR-based social training should be integrated as a long-term, individualized supplement to real-world practice, rather than a one-off activity. With iterative use over time and perhaps adaptive content to match each child's social understanding level, VR experiences might produce more tangible improvements in face-to-face social communication.