Principles for Applying Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) in Virtual Space Design for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

With the advancement of digital technology, digital empowerment in art therapy has emerged as a new trend. The integration of traditional therapeutic approaches with digital media has given rise to diverse cross-domain solutions, such as digital imagery therapy, digital game therapy, and interactive installation therapy. Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), a widely used intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), involves placing children in natural life situations and targeting core deficits in key developmental areas to enhance their social functioning. Building on this method, this study leverages the interactivity and immersiveness of virtual space design to conduct intervention research and experiments applying PRT within virtual spaces for children with ASD. Based on experimental results, we propose that the integration of PRT into virtual spaces for children with ASD should adhere to principles of diversified design, spatial design, targeted intervention, and interaction simplification. This provides insights for future research on virtual space design in art therapy.