Unmasking neurodevelopmental assessment: the potential role for virtual reality as a multimodal clinical adjunct
- 1Cognitive Leap Solutions Inc., Irvine, CA, United States
- 2Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Abstract
Children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs), particularly attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may alter or suppress aspects of their behavioral presentation in structured social and assessment contexts. This phenomenon, often described as masking or camouflaging, can complicate clinical interpretation and may contribute to delayed or incomplete identification in some individuals. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a potentially useful complementary assessment context by combining ecologically relevant task demands with continuous measurement of cognitive performance and objective metrics such as gaze and motor behavior that are less accessible to deliberate control. We propose that immersion in VR may also reduce the salience of the immediate social audience and thereby lessen some forms of assessment-context distortion, although this mechanism has not yet been directly tested. Emerging studies demonstrate that VR-derived motor and gaze measures can distinguish group-level neurodevelopmental profiles and provide information beyond conventional task performance. While these measures are not currently diagnostically specific, they may serve as adjunctive sources of behavioral information to support clinical decisions. Drawing on independent research and clinical implementation experience, this Perspective examines the empirical basis for VR-enabled assessment, proposes testable mechanisms by which it might reduce contextual distortion for children with NDCs, and considers the validation, ethical, accessibility, cultural, and implementation requirements necessary for responsible clinical use.
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BibTeX
@article{goh2026unmasking,
title = {{Unmasking neurodevelopmental assessment: the potential role for virtual reality as a multimodal clinical adjunct}},
author = {Crystal C. W. Goh and Albert S. Rizzo},
journal = {Frontiers in Health Services},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/frhs.2026.1927026},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2026.1927026},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Unmasking neurodevelopmental assessment: the potential role for virtual reality as a multimodal clinical adjunct
AU - Crystal C. W. Goh
AU - Albert S. Rizzo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Frontiers in Health Services
DO - 10.3389/frhs.2026.1927026
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2026.1927026
AB - Children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs), particularly attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may alter or suppress aspects of their behavioral presentation in structured social and assessment contexts. This phenomenon, often described as masking or camouflaging, can complicate clinical interpretation and may contribute to delayed or incomplete identification in some individuals. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a potentially useful complementary assessment context by combining ecologically relevant task demands with continuous measurement of cognitive performance and objective metrics such as gaze and motor behavior that are less accessible to deliberate control. We propose that immersion in VR may also reduce the salience of the immediate social audience and thereby lessen some forms of assessment-context distortion, although this mechanism has not yet been directly tested. Emerging studies demonstrate that VR-derived motor and gaze measures can distinguish group-level neurodevelopmental profiles and provide information beyond conventional task performance. While these measures are not currently diagnostically specific, they may serve as adjunctive sources of behavioral information to support clinical decisions. Drawing on independent research and clinical implementation experience, this Perspective examines the empirical basis for VR-enabled assessment, proposes testable mechanisms by which it might reduce contextual distortion for children with NDCs, and considers the validation, ethical, accessibility, cultural, and implementation requirements necessary for responsible clinical use.
SN - 2813-0146
ER -