Interactive Skills Enhancer (ISE): A Virtual Reality-Based Learning Tool for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) face challenges in social communica- tion, emotional regulation, and life skills development. Traditional interventions often lack customization for their sensory and cognitive needs. This paper presents the design and preliminary evaluation of the Interactive Skills Enhancer (ISE), a customiz- able VR learning tool integrating AI-driven emotion recognition, real-time feedback, and a progress tracking dashboard. The VR environments simulate real-life scenarios such as classrooms, playgrounds, supermarkets, and city settings, tailored to indi- vidual sensory profiles. An exploratory study with children aged 7-14 showed promising engagement and skill acquisition, with VR-based emotional literacy training outperforming traditional methods in complex social tasks [1], [2]. Challenges related to hardware usability and facilitator dependence were noted. Future work includes expanded clinical trials, multi-platform support, and enhanced AI modalities. The results support VR as a dynamic, effective medium for social skills intervention in children with ASD and ID.