Social robotics and virtual environments to prepare adolescents with ASD for employment

Unemployment rates among individuals with ASD are often linked to difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, needed in job interviews and workplace interactions. Emerging interventions using VR systems and robot-mediated training offer promising solutions by creating safe, structured, and adaptable environments for skill development. This paper presents an ongoing project focused on evaluating the effectiveness of social robots and virtual worlds in improving social skills in children and adolescents with ASD, with particular emphasis on preparing young adults for employment. By combining immersive, interactive experiences with targeted skill-building, robotics and VR provide innovative approaches to enhance social functioning and employment readiness for people with ASD.