Child ViReal Support Program: An intervention integrating parent training, child training, and virtual reality to address attention deficits in children

Attention deficits are common among school-aged children and pose significant challenges impacting their academic, social, and emotional well-being. Additionally, parents of children with attention deficits often experience heightened levels of parenting stress and a decreased sense of parental competence, resulting in disruptions in family functioning. Therefore, it is essential for children and their parents to receive supportive services to cope with the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional difficulties they face. While pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions have shown effectiveness in managing these challenges, there remains a need for innovative interventions that produce both short-term and long-term benefits. In response to this need, the “Child ViReal Support Program” was developed as a multi-modal intervention integrating parent and child training, utilizing immersive virtual reality (iVR) technology to enhance attentional skills in children. A randomized controlled trial study was implemented to assess the efficacy of this intervention program with the participation of 16 children 9-12 years old diagnosed with ADHD and their parents. Following their participation in the intervention program, parents reported reduced parenting stress, enhanced parental self-efficacy, and increased use of democratic parenting practices, while children demonstrated decreased levels of inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity, enhanced performance in cognitive tasks, and reduced behavioral problems.