Tailoring and Validating DOT-Virtual Reality Methods for Use with Neurodiverse Children

Abstract

Recent advances in diffuse optical tomography (DOT) and virtual reality (VR) offer powerful tools for studying cognitive development in controlled yet ecologically valid settings. However, their application in neurodivergent populations has been limited, raising concerns around inclusivity, compliance, and data reliability, defined as the degree to which a measure yields consistent results over time. In collaboration with caregivers, researchers, and our industry partner (Gowerlabs Ltd.), we developed a protocol to adapt DOT-VR setups to the needs of neurodiverse children and systematically assess their reproducibility. This project addressed two key gaps: (1) how to tailor DOT-VR setups for neurodiverse children aged 3–7, including autistic children, those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or at higher likelihood of ADHD, and children with low-empathy traits; and (2) whether these tools can produce reliable data in this population.