Investigating effects of the aloeVR technology on the HRV and emotion regulation of middle schoolers with learning disabilities

Self-regulation, which subsumes variables like emotional and behavioral regulation is usually measured using self-report and qualitative techniques, but biomarkers like heart rate variability (HRV) are also indicative of self-regulation. This study understood whether using a mindfulness-based virtual reality (VR) technology, aloeVR, produced adaptive effects on the HRV and self-reported emotional regulation of neurodivergent middle schoolers diagnosed with ASD, ADHD, specific learning disability, other health impairments and their comorbidities. We expand upon extant research in special education, clinical and mental health settings showing how VR environments can provide safe spaces to reduce stress, anxiety, and improve social skills for neurodivergent children. We investigated whether using aloeVR could produce short-term adaptive changes in students’ physiological states (HRV) that co-occurred with trends in self-reported application of emotion regulation strategies. Linear mixed modelling of HRV metrics and emotion regulation surveys from 12 participants who underwent four weeks of traditional counseling check-ins, and four weeks of aloeVR-assisted check-ins revealed that: (1) post-session HRV increased after the commencement of aloeVR sessions, (2) while there was no consistent upward trend in external emotion regulation, survey scores were higher on average during aloeVR-assisted check-ins, (3) there were no improvements in internal emotion regulation survey scores. Results suggest that cognitive self-reports may lag behind physiological well-being markers, and behavioral self-reports. Outcomes also illustrate that aloeVR, by itself, may only produce short-term physiological changes immediately post-exposure. The technology must be paired with explicit socioemotional instruction to produce pronounced consistent changes in how students apply socioemotional skills in everyday life.