Targeting the Sensory Disturbance in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Targeting the Sensory Disturbance in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Effectiveness of Cognitive-behavior Therapy-based Virtual Reality Exposure Program

This study aims to establish a cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) based virtual exposure (VR) exposure program to train ASD adults coping with everyday sensory scenarios. Through the practice and training, the ASD participants may learn the strategy to deal with the common sensory scenarios and master the anxiety around the exposure. The anticipatory anxiety and the maladaptive behaviors may be decreased along with the process of desensitization, while the functional impairment related to sensory sensitivity can partly be recovered.

Inclusion Criteria:

• young adult aged between 18 and 45 years who had a diagnosis of ASD from a licensed mental health or medical professional based on DSM-5;
• has sensory and social problems as reported by the participant and the caregiver;
• is motivated to participate in the treatment;
• is fluent in Chinese;
• has a full-scale IQ > 70 on WAIS-IV;
• scored ≧ 26 on the caregiver-reported Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), indicating clinical impairment associated with ASD.

Exclusion Criteria:

• A history of major mental illness (e.g., bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis) or neurological diseases;
• visual impairment and/or hearing impairment that would preclude participation in the CBT-based VR exposure program