Anders Dechsling

• Redi-Tränk, Cathrine Rismo; Dechsling, Anders; Marentakis, Georgios & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2026). Mapping the landscape of tests employed in diagnosing developmental auditory processing disorder in adults: A scoping review. Acta Psychologica. ISSN 0001-6918. 269. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107637. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a common but often overlooked neurodevelopmental disorder affecting auditory cognition with psychological, physical, and social consequences. Despite affecting all ages, research on APD diagnosis primarily focuses on children, leaving adult diagnostic criteria and evidence-based tests and guidelines poorly defined. This scoping review aims to map tests used to diagnose developmental APD in adults and identify gaps in the literature. Method A systematic search was conducted across ten databases (ERIC, CINAHL, Scopus, PubPsych, PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE). Studies including adults with normal peripheral hearing and reporting diagnostic auditory tests for APD, without cooccurring cognitive, developmental, congenital, or neurological disorder, were included. After deduplication, 1787 records were identified, title and abstract screening yielded 163 full-text articles. Results Six studies were included, two experimental studies (n = 59 adults), and four surveys (n = 603 clinicians). Substantial inconsistency in APD test use, heterogeneity in participant characteristics, and referral criteria were revealed. Conclusion There is currently no consensus on diagnostic tests or criteria for APD in adults. The low number of studies, along with methodological variations, highlights a need for research to provide evidence for what an appropriate test battery would be. Addressing these gaps should lead to improvements in diagnostic reliability and intervention outcomes for adults with APD.

• Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline; Marentakis, Georgios; Dechsling, Anders; Esposito, Gianluca; Dimitriou, Dagmara & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2026). Advantages and disadvantages of noise-cancelling headphones for autistic students in educational settings. Research in Developmental Disabilities. ISSN 0891-4222. 173. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2026.105301. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This perspective article explores the various advantages and disadvantages of using noise-cancelling headphones in educational settings for autistic students with auditory sensory differences. Although noise-cancelling headphones can have several advantages for autistic students in educational settings, it is important that use of such assistive technological tools should not be implemented without a plan and tailoring at an individual level.

• Johansson, Veslemøy Maria Fossum; Gibson, Suanne; Woodcock, Stuart; Dechsling, Anders; Kullmann, Harry & Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Parental (dis)satisfaction with school placement to achieve inclusion: a cross-country comparison. Frontiers in Education. 11. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2026.1710708. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background This study draws on data from a larger international project exploring parents' perceptions of the education of their children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Using responses from 1,309 parents in Australia, England, Germany, and Norway it examines parental satisfaction with mainstream and special schools, and parents' school placement preferences, including willingness to change schools. Parental satisfaction is assessed as an overall evaluation of how well the child's school placement meets their needs, without distinguishing between specific aspects of the school experience. The study also explores whether the child's level of support is associated with these perceptions. Based on a human rights perspective, we highlight parents’ perspectives and their role in the development of more inclusive education systems, without promoting one model of schooling over another. Methods Responses from 1,309 parents across four countries were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Non-parametric tests compared satisfaction across school types, chi-squared tests assessed associations with willingness to change schools, and binary logistic regression examined whether level of support was associated with parents' willingness to change school placement. Results Parents in England, Germany, and Norway reported higher satisfaction with special schools than with mainstream schools. No statistically significant difference was observed in Australia. Parents of children in special schools were less likely to report considering changing schools, particularly in England and Norway. Higher pupil support needs were significantly associated with parents’ willingness to change school across the combined sample. These findings suggest that parental satisfaction with their child's education and their preferences regarding school placement may be shaped by both school type and how well pupils' support needs are perceived to be met. Discussion and conclusion The role of parents as key stakeholders in developing inclusive education systems, consistent with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is emphasised. While parents in special schools in three of the four countries reported higher satisfaction, the reasons for this remain unclear. Understanding the factors shaping parental satisfaction is essential for developing inclusive and responsive learning environments. These findings offer a starting point for future research on how education systems can better align policy commitments with families’ lived experiences.

• Ptáček, Martin; Lugo, Ricardo Gregorio; Bartošová, Kateřina Koros & Dechsling, Anders (2025). Internet-based self-guided acceptance and commitment training for adolescent athletes. Ceskoslovenská Psychologie. ISSN 0009-062X. 69(4), p. 299–299. doi: 10.51561/cspsych.69.4.285. Full text in Research Archive
• Lledo, Gonzalo Lorenzo; Dechsling, Anders & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2025). The use of co-words to analyse the conceptual structure of the application of VR and AR in autistic students. Journal of Enabling Technologies (JET). ISSN 2398-6263. doi: 10.1108/JET-08-2024-0059. Full text in Research Archive
• Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline; Dechsling, Anders; Marentakis, Georgios & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2025). Audio Technology for Autistic Persons with Auditory Sensory Differences—A Scoping Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. ISSN 2195-7177. doi: 10.1007/s40489-025-00511-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Auditory sensory differences are common in the autistic population, often causing daily challenges. Audio technology offers support in managing auditory environments and can be a useful resource in various contexts. This scoping review examined 17 studies on the use of audio technology for autistic persons with auditory sensory differences, highlighting significant research gaps. Findings reveal limited empirical research integrating technology and autism perspectives. The studies predominantly use quantitative methods, small, narrowly aged samples, under-representation of females and individuals with intellectual disabilities, and high dropout rates. Few studies assess acceptability. Further studies on audio technology for autistic persons with auditory sensory differences are needed to address gaps and facilitate the auditory environment for autistic persons.

• Dechsling, Anders; Vister, Oda Marie; Johansen, Trine Elise; Børtveit, Line; Herikstad, Yngve & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2024). Implementing Virtual Reality in Special Education: Teachers’ Perspectives. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. ISSN 1034-912X. p. 1–16. doi: 10.1080/1034912X.2024.2427603. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Thøgersen, Malin Terese & Lian, Torunn (2024). Økt glede og engasjement hos eldre på dagsenter ved bruk av Virtual Reality teknologi som aktivitet: En pilotstudie. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 51, p. 223–234. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2024). Letter to the Editor: Virtual Reality in Facilitating Interaction with Police During Routine Traffic Stops for Persons with Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. ISSN 0162-3257. doi: 10.1007/s10803-024-06647-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Gangestad, Jonathan; Johannessen, Sandra & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2023). Evaluating the Feasibility of Emotion Expressions in Avatars Created from Real Person Photos: Pilot Web-Based Survey of Virtual Reality Software. JMIR Formative Research. 7, p. e44632–e44632. doi: 10.2196/44632. Full text in Research Archive
• Løkke, Jon Arne & Dechsling, Anders (2023). Forhåndssjekklista: Fem viktige forutsetninger for å bruke Sjekklista for målrettet tiltaksarbeid. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 50, p. 70–79. Full text in Research Archive
• Andersen, Fredrik; Herikstad, Yngve; Sütterlin, Stefan & Dechsling, Anders (2023). Negotiating Consensus for Diverging Evidence. An Application of the Explanatory Approach to Guidelines for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders and Addiction. In Zachmann, Karin; Bondio, Mariacarla Gadebusch; Jukola, Saana & Sparschuh, Olga (Ed.), Evidence Contestation: Dealing with Dissent in Knowledge Societies. Routledge. ISSN 9781003273509. p. 167–189. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2023). Virtual Reality and Autism. In Sætra, Henrik Skaug (Eds.), Technology and Sustainable Development: The Promise and Pitfalls of Techno-Solutionism. Routledge. ISSN 9781032350561. p. 85–95. doi: 10.1201/9781003325086-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Orm, Stian; Orm, Cathrine; Mebostad, Mette Ingebrigtsen; Dechsling, Anders & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders Johan (2022). Confirming the Validity of the School-Refusal Assessment Scale—Revised in a Sample of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Frontiers in Psychology. 13, p. 1–6. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.849303. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Children with developmental disorders, such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), are at high risk of school-refusal behavior (SRB) compared with their peers. One of the most used scales to assess SRB is the School Refusal Behavior Scale – Revised (SRAS-R). The SRAS-R has demonstrated good psychometric properties when used with the general population of children but recently its validity has been questioned when used with children with developmental disorders. We tested the psychometric properties of the SRAS-R parental reports in 96 children with ADHD (Mage = 12.4; SD = 1.7, 61.5% boys). Results showed good model fit and internal consistency for the original four-factor structure. Three of the factors were strongly correlated, suggesting that SRB among children with ADHD are caused by several factors. Copyright © 2022 Orm, Orm, Mebostad, Dechsling and Nordahl-Hansen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

• Gabarron, Elia; Dechsling, Anders; Skafle, Ingjerd & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2022). Discussions of Asperger Syndrome on Social Media: Content and Sentiment Analysis on Twitter. JMIR Formative Research. 6(3). doi: 10.2196/32752. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: On May 8, 2021, Elon Musk, a well-recognized entrepreneur and business magnate, revealed on a popular television show that he has Asperger syndrome. Research has shown that people’s perceptions of a condition are modified when influential individuals in society publicly disclose their diagnoses. It was anticipated that Musk's disclosure would contribute to discussions on the internet about the syndrome, and also to a potential change in the perception of this condition. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the types of information contained in popular tweets about Asperger syndrome as well as their engagement and sentiment before and after Musk’s disclosure. Methods: We extracted tweets that were published 1 week before and after Musk's disclosure that had received >30 likes and included the terms “Aspergers” or “Aspie.” The content of each post was classified by 2 independent coders as to whether the information provided was valid, contained misinformation, or was neutral. Furthermore, we analyzed the engagement on these posts and the expressed sentiment by using the AFINN sentiment analysis tool. Results: We extracted a total of 227 popular tweets (34 posted the week before Musk’s announcement and 193 posted the week after). We classified 210 (92.5%) of the tweets as neutral, 13 (5.7%) tweets as informative, and 4 (1.8%) as containing misinformation. Both informative and misinformative tweets were posted after Musk’s disclosure. Popular tweets posted before Musk’s disclosure were significantly more engaging (received more comments, retweets, and likes) than the tweets posted the week after. We did not find a significant difference in the sentiment expressed in the tweets posted before and after the announcement. Conclusions: The use of social media platforms by health authorities, autism associations, and other stakeholders has the potential to increase the awareness and acceptance of knowledge about autism and Asperger syndrome. When prominent figures disclose their diagnoses, the number of posts about their particular condition tends to increase and thus promote a potential opportunity for greater outreach to the general public about that condition.

• Børtveit, Line; Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan; Nordgreen, Tine & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2022). Guided Internet-Delivered Treatment for Depression: Scoping Review. JMIR Mental health. 9(10), p. 1–24. doi: 10.2196/37342. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Studies on guided internet-delivered treatment have demonstrated promising results for patients with depressive disorder. Objective: The aim of this study was to provide an overview of this research area and identify potential gaps in the research. Methods: In this scoping review, web-based databases were used to identify research papers published between 2010 and 2022 where guided internet-delivered treatment was administered to participants with depressive disorders, a standardized rating scale of depressive symptoms was used as the primary outcome measure, and the treatment was compared with a control condition. Results: A total of 111 studies were included, and an overview of the studies was provided. Several gaps in the research were identified regarding the design of the studies, treatments delivered, participant representation, and treatment completion. Conclusions: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the research area, and several research gaps were identified. The use of other designs and active control conditions is recommended. Future studies should provide access to treatment manuals, and more replications should be conducted. Researchers should aim to include underrepresented populations and provide reports of comorbidities. Definitions of adequate dosage, reports of completion rates, and reasons for treatment dropout are recommended for future studies.

• Dechsling, Anders; Orm, Stian; Kalandadze, Tamara; Sütterlin, Stefan; Øien, Roald A & Shic, Frederick [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Virtual and augmented reality in social skills interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. ISSN 0162-3257. p. 1–16. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05338-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the last decade, there has been an increase in publications on technology-based interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Virtual reality based assessments and intervention tools are promising and have shown to be acceptable amongst individuals with ASD. This scoping review reports on 49 studies utilizing virtual reality and augmented reality technology in social skills interventions for individuals with ASD. The included studies mostly targeted children and adolescents, but few targeted very young children or adults. Our findings show that the mode number of participants with ASD is low, and that female participants are underrepresented. Our review suggests that there is need for studies that apply virtual and augmented realty with more rigorous designs involving established and evidenced-based intervention strategies.

• Skafle, Ingjerd; Gabarron, Elia; Dechsling, Anders & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders Johan (2021). Online Attitudes and Information-Seeking Behavior on Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Greta Thunberg. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH). ISSN 1661-7827. 18(9), p. 4981–4981. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094981. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The purpose of this study was to examine Internet trends data and sentiment in tweets mentioning autism, Asperger syndrome, and Greta Thunberg during 2019. We used mixed methods in analyzing sentiment and attitudes in viral tweets and collected 1074 viral tweets on autism that were published in 2019 (tweets that got more than 100 likes). The sample from Twitter was compared with search patterns on Google. In 2019, Asperger syndrome was closely connected to Greta Thunberg, as of the tweets specifically mentioning Asperger (from the total sample of viral tweets mentioning autism), 83% also mentioned Thunberg. In the sample of tweets about Thunberg, the positive sentiment expressed that Greta Thunberg was a role model, whereas the tweets that expressed the most negativity used her diagnosis against her and could be considered as cyberbullying. The Google Trends data also showed that Thunberg was closely connected to search patterns on Asperger syndrome in 2019. The study showed that being open about health information while being an active participant in controversial debates might be used against you but also help break stigmas and stereotypes.

• Arntzen, Erik; Dechsling, Anders & Fields, Lanny (2021). Expansion of Arbitrary Stimulus Classes and Function-Transfer Measured by Sorting Performances. Journal of The Experimental Analysis of Behavior. ISSN 0022-5002. 115(1), p. 326–339. doi: 10.1002/jeab.665. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Shic, Frederick; Zhang, Dajie; Marschik, Peter B.; Esposito, Gianluca & Orm, Stian [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2021). Virtual reality and naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities. ISSN 0891-4222. 111:103885, p. 1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103885. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  <p>Background: Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) have been evaluated as the most promising interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. In recent years, a growing body of literature suggests that technological advancements such as Virtual Reality (VR) are promising intervention tools. However, to the best of our knowledge no studies have combined evidence-based practice with such tools. <p>Aim: This article aims to review the current literature combining NDBI and VR, and provide suggestions on merging NDBI-approaches with VR. <p>Methods: This article is divided into two parts, where we first conduct a review mapping the research applying NDBI-approaches in VR. In the second part we argue how to apply the common features of NDBI into VR-technology. <p>Results: Our findings show that no VR-studies explicitly rely on NDBI-approaches, but some utilize elements in their interventions that are considered to be common features to NDBI. <p>Conclusions and implications: As the results show, to date, no VR-based studies have utilized NDBI in their intervention. We therefore, in the second part of this article, suggests ways to merge VR and NDBI and introduce the term Virtual Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (VNDBI). VNDBI is an innovative way of implementing NDBI which will contribute in making interventions more accessible in central as well as remote locations, while reducing unwanted variation between service sites. VNDBI will advance the possibilities of individually tailoring and widen the area of interventions. In addition, VNDBI can provide the field with new knowledge on effective components enhancing the accuracy in the intervention packages and thus move forward the research field and clinical practice.

• Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan; Lugo, Ricardo Gregorio & Halvorsen, Lars Rune (2021). A Critical View of the National Student Survey as a Quality Indicator in Norwegian Higher Education. Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk. 7, p. 362–375. doi: 10.23865/ntpk.v7.2306. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Student surveys are an integral part of quality assessment in the education sector and play a vital role in the justification of policies and decisions on governmental, institutional and individual levels. Each year in Norway a governmental agency for quality assurance in education conducts a national survey inviting all registered second year bachelor’s and master’s students to provide online feedback on their perceived study quality. We discuss the limits of the results' interpretability in the light of previous research criticising the validity of student surveys for the assessment of educational quality in general and discuss in more detail the limitations in the chosen Norwegian example. This article aims to increase the awareness of these challenges and stimulate a science-based development of alternative assessment forms of educational quality. The relationship between the educational sector's core activity and the survey's focus is discussed; suggestions for paths to improvement are made. We argue further that the nationwide assessment lays bare the conceptual deficits that may be of equally high importance for educational system evaluations in other countries.

• Andersen, Fredrik & Dechsling, Anders (2021). Nudging, hva er det og bør vi benytte oss av det? Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 48(2). Full text in Research Archive
• Herikstad, Yngve; Hoel, Mia Kristin; Falck, Haakon Tuman & Dechsling, Anders (2020). Possible Tensions Between Individual Needs and Collective Treatment Methods for Substance Use Disorders and Addiction. Nordic Journal of Social Research. 11(1), p. 175–194. doi: 10.7577/njsr.3821. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The inpatient collective treatment model has strong historical roots in the treatment of people with substance use disorders in Norway. It focusses on safe and drug-free environments that support growth and development in individuals admitted for treatment, emphasising the community as method idea. However, little is known about how flexible such treatment approaches are when adjusting to individual treatment needs. Here, we explore how such individual treatment needs are safeguarded within the framework of collective inpatient institutional settings by interviewing treatment staff members who hold a bachelor’s degree in social or health sciences (N= 5). The focus of our analysis is on exploring the possible challenges that may occur as a result of competing conflicts between individualised personcentred treatments in institutional settings that aim to build strong communities. Our findings here are summarised in three major themes: (a) individual treatment needs face possible neglect with strong adherence to the treatment programme, (b) too rigid an interpretation of community as method may lead to attributional errors and a possible rejection of the client and (c) the collective paradigm faces important challenges regarding individuals with cognitive deficits. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to shed light on the tensions regarding individualised person-centred treatment arrangements within the collective treatment paradigm. Thus, our findings may provide increased awareness and better understanding of this problem and should inform future research questions, as well as professional education and clinical practices. Future research should focus on how to balance individualised treatment within the framework of inpatient collective treatment. In addition, important clinical implications relate to how such individualised person-centred treatment may contribute to better treatment quality and outcomes in programmes applying the community as method idea.

• Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2020). Acceptability and normative considerations in research on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Virtual Reality. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). ISSN 0302-9743. 12197, p. 161–170. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-50439-7_11. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Øien, Roald A & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2020). Om metode: Bruk av inter-observatør enighet og inter-rater reliabilitet i NTA, og forslag til utvidelse av repertoaret i atferdsanalytiske studier. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 47(1), p. 5–16. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Social validity has since long been a central area of evaluation and can be seen as a part of the applied dimension in applied behavior analysis. Social validity has to do with what the patient people in the patient’s environment think about the intervention. Social validity is a subjective state of affairs with subsequent measurement issues. A recent literature review of studies published in the flagship Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis showed that only 12% of the studies included evaluation of social validity. The purpose of the current study vas to examine how studies within applied behavior analysis published in the Norwegian Journal of Behavior Analysis (NJBA) have dealt with social validity. We have inspected all studies characterized as applied behavior analysis and behavior analysis in practice published in NJBA from 2006 to 2020 (k = 66) and searched for “social validity”. The results show that only 3% of the studies had measured social validity explicitly while 17% have mentioned social validity as an area of evaluation. The remaining 80% have not measured or mentioned social validity. Very few studies in NJBA includes explicit and systematic measures of social validity. There is a need to change the practice so that evaluations of social validity are included in the same way as evaluations of effect and goal achievement.

• Nordahl-Hansen, Anders; Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan; Børtveit, Line; Zhang, Dajie & Øien, Roald A [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). An Overview of Virtual Reality Interventions for two Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Intellectual Disabilities and Autism. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). ISSN 0302-9743. 12197, p. 257–267. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-50439-7_17. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders & Arntzen, Erik (2019). Emergente relasjoner og mulige konsekvenser for begrepet stimulusklasser. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 46(1), p. 1–13. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Matching-to-sample (MTS) procedures are frequently used in training necessary conditional discriminations and testing for stimulus equivalence classes. MTS is highly suitable to document the properties of stimulus equivalence. Sorting test are used within research on the partitioning of stimulus classes and the performance on sorting tests shown to have a high correspondence with outcome on MTS tests. This correspondence suggests that sorting tests and MTS tests document the same classes. However, the sorting tests does not document the properties defining stimulus equivalence classes. The different terms describing stimulus classes and the usage of sorting in stimulus equivalence research are described and discussed.

• Løkke, Jon Arne; Orm, Stian & Dechsling, Anders (2019). Misforståelser om anvendt atferdsanalyse i nevrodiversitetsbevegelsen. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 46(1), p. 55–63. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Nevrodiversitetsbevegelsen er en bevegelse av autistiske personer og deres pårørende som stadig blir lagt mer merke til i Norge. Vi startet ut med en hypotese om at det i nevrodiversitetsbevegelsen finnes en rekke misforståelser om atferdsanalyse. Gjennom tematiske analyser av innlegg om nevrodiversitet har vi identifisert åtte kategorier med gjentakende misforståelser. Vi redegjør for paradigmatiske forståelser og mulige årsaker til misforståelsene. En analyse av grunnleggende antakelser innenfor nevrodiversitetsbevegelsen, atferdsanalyse, og den medisinsk-psykiatriske modellen viser mange ulikheter i epistemologi og teknikker. Ulikheter i grunnleggende antakelser er ikke et problem, men konstruerte misforståelser om atferdsanalyse bør forsøkes forebygd og endret.

• Dechsling, Anders; Larssen, Lill Melissa & Herikstad, Yngve (2019). Bruk av tegnøkonomi for å korte ned latenstiden etter friminutt for en elev med Downs syndrom. En systematisk replikasjon. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 46(2), p. 65–69. Full text in Research Archive
• Granmo, Sjur; Løkke, Jon Arne; Halvorsen, Lars Rune; Dechsling, Anders; Kvebæk, Sindre & Navestad, Bjørn Erik (2017). Preferansebasert mandopplæring for barnehagebarn med forsinket utvikling i barnehage. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA). ISSN 0809-781X. 44(2), p. 63–78. Full text in Research Archive

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• Dechsling, Anders (2026). Spesialpedagogikk og atferdsanalyse er som Valjean og Javert - Uekte motsetninger. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne posteren peker på hvordan spesialpedagogikk og atferdsanalyse ofte fremstilles som motsetninger i norsk utdanningskontekst.Tradisjonelt knyttes spesialpedagogikk til relasjonelle og kontekstuelle forståelser av elevens behov, mens atferdsanalyse forbindes med struktur, måling og evidensbaserte tiltak. Disse motsetningene er i stor grad uekte. Begge tilnærmingene søker å fremme elevens læring, utvikling og deltakelse, men vektlegger ulike aspekter ved praksis. Når perspektivene behandles som gjensidig utelukkende, kan det føre til faglig polarisering og mindre helhetlige tiltak. Posteren presenterer hundre spesialpedagogstudenters syn på atferdsanalyse og dens relevans for spesialpedagogikk - etter å ha lært om atferdsanalyse

• Dechsling, Anders (2026). «Hvordan havnet vi her?» – om barns atferd, samspill og hvordan vi voksne påvirker og påvirkes i møte med barn. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2026). Internmøte Ep25 - Fri lek eller voksenstyrt – hva gir best sosial og emosjonell utviklin. doi: https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIGoZmLx5-Y. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Podcastepisode om sosial og emosjonell utvikling i barnehage i lys av pedagogiske programmer og lek.

• Dechsling, Anders (2026). Virtual reality – nästa behandlingsmetod för barn med autism. [Journal]. Svenska Dagbladet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Spelifiering och VR-glasögon kan vara nästa behandlingsmetod för barn med autism, menar forskare. Men det krävs mer tvärvetenskapligt samarbete.

• Dechsling, Anders; Cipriano, Christina; Børtveit, Line; Fjermestad, Krister Westlye; Karlsen, Ann-Charlott Beatrice Amundsen & Akerbæk, Tore Marius [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Examining the effectiveness of Second Step Early Learning versus free play on socio-emotional learning in kindergarten: a cluster randomized controlled trial protocol. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-09047-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Johansson, Veslemøy Maria Fossum; Gibson, Suanne; Woodcock, Stuart; Dechsling, Anders; Kullmann, Harry & Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Parental (Dis)Satisfaction with School Placement to Achieve Inclusion: A Cross-Country Comparison. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Article 24 of the CRPD (2006) underpins inclusive education for children with disabilities as a human right. However, global systems often fail to meet these needs, with persistent segregation, limited accessibility, and inadequate accommodations (Anderson & Boyle, 2020). Inclusion is frequently reduced to physical placement, neglecting meaningful participation and systemic adaptation (de Beco, 2022). Critics argue this reinforces segregation rather than fostering inclusivity. Parental perspectives, shaped by concerns over bullying, isolation, and insufficient support, remain mixed (Gal et al., 2025). Systemic reform prioritizing parent and student voices is essential. This paper seeks to examine parental perceptions of children with additional educational needs, addressing a notable gap in research that has often overlooked these critical stakeholders (Sharma et al., 2022). It investigates the factors influencing parents' choices between mainstream and special schools for their children, as well as their satisfaction with these decisions. Using the recently developed Parental Perception of Inclusion Climate Scale (PPICS, Sharma et al., 2022), a tool designed to assess parents' views on school practices related to inclusion, our findings from a study with 9 countries, show that parents of children in special schools, report significantly higher levels of satisfaction compared to those with children in mainstream schools. Among parents considering a change in their child's school, those with children in mainstream schools are three times more likely to seek such a move. Notably, the likelihood of wanting to switch schools is not influenced by the level of support needs, though this trend varies in some country-specific data. Furthermore, 68% of respondents believe that special schools or special classes are necessary to meet the needs of students like their child, underscoring strong support for specialized education settings. Implications for practice and recommendations for policy and practice will be discussed.

• Dechsling, Anders (2025). Atferdens funksjon. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2025). Atferds­analyse på masterstudium i spesialpedagogikk. Studenters evaluering av atferds­analysens relevans i studiet og praksis. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders & Børtveit, Line (2025). Atferdens funksjon og funksjonelle analyser. Full text in Research Archive
• Redi, Cathrine Rismo; Dechsling, Anders; Marentakis, Georgios & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2025). Diagnosing Auditory Processing Disorder in Adults - A Scoping Review of Diagnostic Gaps. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Cipriano, Christina; Børtveit, Line; Fjermestad, Krister Westlye; Karlsen, Ann-Charlott Beatrice Amundsen & Akerbæk, Tore Marius [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Examining the Effectiveness of Second-Step Early Learning versus Free Play on Socioemotional Learning in Kindergarten: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol. doi: https:/link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13063-025-09047-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2025). Autism and VR. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2025). Et historisk blikk på Spesialpedagogikk og Vernepleie, og mulighetene for samarbeid framover. Full text in Research Archive
• Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline; Dechsling, Anders; Marentakis, Georgios & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2025). Autistic Persons with Auditory Sensory Differences: The Use of Audio Technology - A Scoping Review. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Auditory sensory differences often co-occur with autism (Williams et al., 2021) o Everyday sounds are often perceived as overwhelming, intense, frightening and even painful (Aazh et al. 2016; Tyler et al., 2014) o Auditory sensory differences are linked to increased sympathetic nervous system reactivity, which in turn relates distractibility, reduced concentration, distress, and elevated stress and anxiety levels (Howe & Stagg, 2016; Lau et al., 2023; Pfeiffer et al., 2019) o Reported consequences include avoidance of certain environments and interactions, reduced participation or engagement in meaningful activities, and performance-impairing distractibility (Bendo et al., 2024; Pfeiffer et al., 2019) o Audio technology can support autistic persons with auditory differences in various contexts (Feldman et al., 2022; Ikuta et.al., 2016; Kulawiak, 2021; Rance et al., 2017) o Despite the widespread use of audio technology in everyday life for many autistic persons, there is little empirical research to justify proper use Objective:Map the extent and type of evidence that exists on the use of audio technology by autistic persons with auditory sensory differences, analyze existing research and identify potential research gaps

• Johansson, Veslemøy Maria Fossum; Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline; Ulriksen, Line Britt; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders & Dechsling, Anders (2024). Parental Perception on Well-being of Students with Disabilities in Regular and Special Schools. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Inclusion is a complex concept that ranges from placing students in mainstream classrooms to changing entire educational systems. Whileinclusive education is often simplified as the place where students are educated, it is much more than just the mere placement. In inclusiveclassrooms, all students irrespective of diversities are welcomed and schools make adjustments to ensure that the needs of all students aremet. Research has shown a positive impact of inclusive practices on all students including those who have additional needs (Artiles et al.2006). There has been some debate that inclusion mandates across most countries are driven by policymakers, and researchers and thevoices of parents/carers and students with disabilities and their siblings are not given due attention. The perspectives of those who are theactual recipients of inclusion policies and how they experience them should not be overlooked. In Norway, the basic principle of specialeducation is that the student should be taught in mainstream schools (also referred to as inclusive schools), still 9% of students areeducated in permanent special education units (NDET, 2023). The current project investigated the potential relationship between the type of placement of students with additional needs with theperception of students' well-being. In this context, relevant factors in measuring the quality of the inclusion climate in schools are students'social participation and acceptance among friends, happiness, and belonging in the school community (Sharma et al., 2022; Schwab et al.,2018). Objective: The objective of this paper is to investigate parental reports about the well-being of students receiving special education in regular schools,special schools and special education groups. Method: Through an internet-based survey, we collected data about parental perspectives about inclusion [Parental Perception of Inclusion ClimateScale (Sharma et al., 2022)] and compared it between parents of children who were attending ordinary schools and special schools/groupsas dichotomous independent variables. We used individual items and three sub-factor scores on the Parental scale (Sharma et al., 2022)]related as dependent variables. The findings of the study will be discussed with possible implications for the special and inclusive educationsectors in Norway and other countries

• Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline; Dechsling, Anders; Marentakis, Georgios & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2024). Noise- cancelling technology and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory difficulties in school; a systematic review. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordahl-Hansen, Anders; Dechsling, Anders; Herrebrøden, Marte Karoline; Johansson, Veslemøy Maria Fossum & Ulriksen, Line Britt (2024). Pågående studie om foreldres holdninger til skoletilbud ønsker deltakere til undersøkelse. [Internet]. stiftelsensor.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordahl-Hansen, Anders; Dechsling, Anders & Lledo, Gonzalo Lorenzo (2023). Evolution of the intellectual structure of virtual reality and augmented reality interventions for children and adolescents during the period 2010-2022. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders & Andersen, Fredrik (2023). Nudge nudge, wink wink. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2023). Virtual Reality og Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions for barn med autisme. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2022). Virtual reality interventions in autism. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2022). Virtual Reality for barn med autismespekterforstyrrelser. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Vister, Oda Marie; Johansen, Trine Elise; Herikstad, Yngve & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2022). Implementing Virtual Reality technology for autistic students: Teacher’s perspective on success factors and challenges. Full text in Research Archive
• Skafle, Ingjerd; Dechsling, Anders; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders & Gabarron, Elia (2022). Online attitudes and information-seeking behavior on autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Full text in Research Archive
• Løkke, Jon Arne; Orm, Stian; Myhre, Martin Øverlien & Dechsling, Anders (2021). Autisme og selvmord: En systematisk litteraturgjennomgang. Full text in Research Archive
• Børtveit, Line; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders Johan; Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan & Nordgreen, Tine (2021). Tredjegenerasjons atferdsanalyse i internettlevert behandling for pasienter med depresjon. Full text in Research Archive
• Arntzen, Erik; Dechsling, Anders & Westgård, Anne (2021). Performance when novel stimuli are presented in the sorting test. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2021). Bruk av Virtual Reality for å trene sosiale ferdigheter. Atferdsanalysens bidrag. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan; Lugo, Ricardo Gregorio & Halvorsen, Lars Rune (2021). Studiebarometeret måler ikke studiekvalitet. Full text in Research Archive
• Herikstad, Yngve; Tøfte, Håkon; Dechsling, Anders & Løkke, Jon Arne (2020). Her er tips til hvordan du kan snakke om selvmord. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2020). Vernepleieren i doktorgradsløp: «hvorfor er det viktig at også vernepleiere tar dette løpet». Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Orm, Stian; Øien, Roald A; Sütterlin, Stefan & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2020). Virtual Reality and Behavior Analytic Interventions on Social Skills for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review. Full text in Research Archive
• Jelsness-Jørgensen, Lars-Petter; Dechsling, Anders & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2020). Slik har du aldri sett høyskolerektoren før – nå skal denne VR-teknologien hjelpe barn med autisme. [Journal]. Fredriksstad Blad. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2020). Acceptability and normative considerations in research on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Virtual Reality. Full text in Research Archive
• Løkke, Jon Arne; Orm, Stian & Dechsling, Anders (2020). Misconceptions About Behavior Analysis Among Neurodiversity Proponents. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Misconceptions about behavior analysis is prevalent among students and teachers, but to our knowledge, no earlier study has investigated misconceptions among potential receivers of applied behavior analysis. People with autism, engaged in the neurodiversity movement, are potential receivers of ABA, but misconceptions might be a barrier to seeking behavior analytic service delivery. The main purpose of this study was to identify possible misconceptions in the neurodiversity movement. We identified N=20 entities (e.g. book chapters, articles, blog and social media posts, websites etc.) and used thematic analysis to identify the misconceptions and conceptions about behavior analysis in these posts. The current study shows that neurodiversity proponents holds, and spreads, several misconceptions about behavior analysis. The themes emerging from the thematic analysis will be presented together with descriptive statistics showing the frequency of each misconception. Misconceptions about behavior analysis in the neurodiversity discourse could potentially hinder autistic people and their families from getting balanced information about intervention alternatives.

• Nordahl-Hansen, Anders; Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan; Børtveit, Line; Zhang, Dajie & Øien, Roald A [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Virtual Reality Interventions: Autism and Intellectual Disabilities. Full text in Research Archive
• Orm, Stian; Dechsling, Anders; Sütterlin, Stefan; Øien, Roald A & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders Johan (2020). Virtual Reality to Enhance Social and Emotional Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2020). Husk denne følelsen av tapt frihet. For noen er det hverdagen. Fredrikstad Blad. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2020). Research Focus: Autism Spectrum Disorder & Virtual Reality, Anders Dechsling. Thrive Nordics. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders & Øien, Roald A (2019). Derfor vil Virtual Reality kunne bedre hverdagen til barn og unge med autisme. Full text in Research Archive
• Andersen, Fredrik & Dechsling, Anders (2019). Nudging, bør vi egentlig drive med det? Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Arntzen, Erik & Fields, Lanny (2019). Formation and Expansion of Stimulus Classes Documented by Sorting Tests. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders & Løkke, Jon Arne (2019). Tre steg for å se mennesket foran diagnosen. Vernepleier.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2019). VR kan gi autister en bedre hverdag. [Radio]. NRK1 Østfoldnytt. Full text in Research Archive
• Orm, Stian; Løkke, Jon Arne & Dechsling, Anders (2019). Stian Orm og Jon Arne Løkke for NAFO Østfold 2018. [Internet]. Vimeo.com. Full text in Research Archive
• Orm, Stian & Dechsling, Anders (2019). Autisme og spesialpedagogikk i barnehage. Full text in Research Archive
• Orm, Stian & Dechsling, Anders (2019). Autismespekterforstyrrelser i barnehagen. Full text in Research Archive
• Løkke, Jon Arne; Orm, Stian & Dechsling, Anders (2019). Misforståelser om atferdsanalyse i nevrodiversitetskulturen: en gjennomgang av fremstillinger i ulike medier. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Vi tar utgangspunkt i artikkelen "On Misconceptions About Behavior Analysis Among University Students and Teachers" (Arntzen, Løkke, Løkke & Eilertsen, The Psychological Record 60(2):325-336 March 2010). Med misforståelsene i denne artikkelen som utgangspunkt, har vi lest og analysert litteraturen og innlegg i offentlige medier om autisme og nevrodiversitet. Hovedhypotesen er at denne diskursen preges av mange misforståelser og vrangforestillinger om atferdsanalyse. Et eksempel er retorikken brukt av Facebooksiden "Autistics and Allies Against ABA Ireland" som skriver at "ABA is abuse against Autistics" og lignende. Vi presenterer noen av misforståelsene og noen mulig løsninger som gjør at personer som er opptatt av autisme kan få en balansert fremstilling av atferdsanalyse.

• Dechsling, Anders (2019). Om forskningsprosjektet: A Virtual Reality Intervention for Children with Autism. [TV]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2019). Session Chair: Experiences in Special Education (2). Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Orm, Stian; Sütterlin, Stefan; Øien, Roald A & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2019). Virtual reality interventions for persons with autism spectrum disorders:: A systematic scoping review. Full text in Research Archive
• Arntzen, Erik; Dechsling, Anders & Fields, Lanny (2018). Sorting documents the formation and expansion of stimulus classes. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2018). Verdien av kartlegging. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders (2017). Bruk av DRI-prosedyre med tegnøkonomi og response cost for å redusere uvaner hos normaltfungerende gutt. Full text in Research Archive
• Løkke, Jon Arne; Granmo, Sjur; Halvorsen, Lars Rune; Dechsling, Anders; Kvebæk, Sindre & Navestad, Bjørn Erik (2016). A preference-based mand intervention in a Discrete Trial Training (DTT). Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Kvebæk, Sindre; Navestad, Bjørn Erik; Granmo, Sjur; Halvorsen, Lars Rune & Løkke, Jon (2016). Etablering av spontane vokale mands hos et førskolebarn med forsinket utvikling. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2024). Virtual reality and autism: Process preparations enabling future research and intervention practices. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788283645767. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: The overall aim of this study is to examine key parts that need to be considered when planning and conducting research using virtual reality (VR) for autistic individuals. VR is a technology that simulates realistic environments and experiences that also can be tailored to meet specific needs. VR has the possibility to mimic real-life situations integrated in a controlled, predictable, safe, and supportive space. Moreover, VR can enhance engagement and motivation for autistic individuals, and offers customizable opportunities to develop and practice essential skills. The integration of virtual reality (VR) represents an exciting frontier in autism research and intervention practices. However, the complexity represented by such research and that the evidence of the effectiveness of VR-interventions is still scarce. It is therefore a need to carefully examine auxiliary assumptions that can affect the outcomes. In this thesis, I present four studies aimed at enabling researchers and conducting process preparations for future scientific endeavors. Objectives: The objective of this thesis is to investigate elements that are important to enable future research on autism and VR. This objective will be reached by (1) providing knowledge about the overall acceptability towards VR by autistic individuals, (2) addressing research gaps on autism, VR, and social skills, (3) evaluate whether available software create valid emotion expressions in avatars, and (4) investigating factors important for implementation of VR in schools. Methods: The four papers presented in this doctoral thesis utilized different methods. The first study is a review of the available peer-reviewed literature on autism and VR. We qualitatively analyzed the reporting of acceptability from autistic participants. We categorized the findings as positive, negative, or inconclusive. Inconclusive meaning variations within the sample in a study. The second study is a systematic scoping review providing an extensive overview of the literature reporting on social skills interventions, involving autistic participants, in VR. We analyzed the studies and identified several research gaps. The third study is a web-based pilot-survey where we quantitatively evaluate emotions expressed by avatars. We created avatars from real person photos using an available software which automatically expressed various basic and complex emotions. Using structural equation modelling and Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis, we analyzed responses from the participants in terms of correctly perceived, difficulty level, and discrimination. The fourth study is a qualitative investigation of factors that are perceived important when implementing VR in schools. We used semi-structured interviews with eight individuals and a group of five individuals consisting of teachers, special educators, leaders, and student teachers. We used thematic analysis and identified factors that our informants deemed as important for a successful implementation. Results: Study 1 revealed an increase of the number of studies on autism and VR, but less than half of the included studies reported acceptability. Of the studies providing acceptability information, 89% reports positive evaluations while 1% is negative. More than 70% of the studies using head-mounted displays (HMD) provide acceptability information. Of these, approximately 4 out of 5 studies showed positive evaluations and none were negative. In Study 2, a total of 49 studies were included and analyzed. We identified seven prominent research gaps. The first gap shows that less than half of the studies reported acceptability data. Further, there is a lack of diversity of methodology and demographics. Only 1:10 participants are female, there are few studies with participants having co-occurring diagnoses, few participants aged over 30, and few studies using HMDs. Additionally, there is lack of diversity of methods, meaning; few RCTs or case-control studies, and few multiple singlecase designs. Furthermore, a theoretical grounding in the intervention studies is missing. Study 3 revealed that few emotions were correctly perceived, however, the difficulty level were around average on a standard threshold. The discrimination of the images was .7, indicated by the factor loadings, meaning that it shares 49% of the variance with the latent factor. In Study 4, we identified five themes important for implementation: (1) sufficient knowledge and training, (2) an internal and external network, (3) sufficient resources, (4) positive attitudes, and (5) technological features. All participants expressed enthusiasm towards applying VR in schools. Conclusions: The main findings of this thesis are that, first, VR is a preferable tool for many autistic individuals thus making it a technology worth developing. Second, there are research gaps that needs to be filled to justify future claims of effectiveness. Researchers should be aware of the possible fallacies connected to auxiliary assumptions as demonstrated in Study 3. Furthermore, to ensure proper implementation of VR in schools, and make probable treatment integrity from the start, valuable information about crucial factors is now available. The process preparations rendered visible by this thesis provide researchers with important knowledge for future endeavors and is a step in enabling future research on autism and VR. Bakgrunn: Bruk av virtual reality (VR) i autismeforskning og intervensjoner er under spennende utvikling. Det er økende interesse for å utforske og utvikle innovative teknikker for å bedre livskvaliteten for autistiske individer. VR er en teknologi som kan simulere realistiske omgivelser og opplevelser, og som kan skreddersys for å møte spesifikke behov. VR kan tilpasses og etterligne virkelige situasjoner og på den måten tilby trygge og støttende miljøer for utvikling og trening av viktige ferdigheter. I tillegg kan VR øke engasjementet og motivasjonen for slik trening. Forskningen og utviklingen på dette feltet beveger seg raskt framover. Tatt i betraktning kompleksiteten denne forskningen representerer, og at bevisene for effektiviteten av VR-intervensjoner fortsatt lar vente på seg, er det behov for å undersøke underliggende faktorer, eller hjelpehypoteser, som kan påvirke resultatene. I denne doktorgradsavhandlingen presenterer jeg fire studier som tar sikte på, gjennom en rekke prosessforberedelser, å legge til rette for forskere og utviklingen av forskning på autisme og VR. Mål: Det overordnede målet med denne avhandlingen er å undersøke elementer som muliggjør grundig fremtidig forskning på autisme og VR. Denne avhandlingen vil (1) gi kunnskap om den generelle aksepterbarheten av VR, rapporert av autistiske individer, (2) adressere forskningshull om autisme, VR og sosiale ferdigheter, (3) vurdere om tilgjengelig programvare skaper gyldige følelsesuttrykk i avatarer, og (4) undersøke faktorer som er viktige for implementering av VR i skolen. Metoder: De fire artiklene som presenteres i denne doktorgradsavhandlingen benyttet ulike metoder. Den første studien er en gjennomgang av tilgjengelig fagfellevurdert litteratur om autisme og VR. Vi analyserte rapporteringen av akseptarbarhet fra autistiske deltakere. Vi kategoriserte funnene som positive, negative eller ikke entydige. Ikke entydige innebar manglende samsvar innad i utvalget i en studie. Den andre studien er en systematisk scoping review som gir en omfattende oversikt over forskningen på sosiale ferdighetsintervensjoner, i VR, som involverer autistiske deltakere. Vi analyserte studiene og identifiserte flere forskningshull. Den tredje studien er en nettbasert undersøkelse der vi evaluerer følelser uttrykt av avatarer. Vi opprettet avatarer fra ekte profilbilder ved hjelp av en tilgjengelig programvare som automatisk genererte ulike grunnleggende og komplekse følelsesuttrykk. Ved hjelp av structural equation modelling og Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis, analyserte vi svarene fra deltakerne ut fram om bildene ble korrekt oppfattet, deres vanskelighetsgrad og diskrimineringen mellom dem. Den fjerde studien er en kvalitativ undersøkelse av faktorer som oppfattes som viktige ved implementering av VR i skolen. Vi benyttet semistrukturerte intervjuer med åtte personer og en gruppe på fem personer bestående av lærere, spesialpedagoger, ledere og lærerstudenter. Vi benyttet tematisk analyse og identifiserte faktorer som våre informanter anså som viktige for en vellykket implementering. Resultater: Studie 1 viste en økning i antall studier på autisme og VR, men at under halvparten av de inkluderte studiene rapporterte aksepterbarhet. Av studiene som gir informasjon om aksepterbarhet, rapporterer 89% positive evalueringer mens 1% er negative. Mer enn 70% av studiene som bruker VR-briller gir informasjon om aksepterbarhet. Av disse viste ca. 4 av 5 studier positive evalueringer og at ingen var negative. I studie 2 ble totalt 49 studier inkludert og analysert. Vi identifiserte syv fremtredende forskningshull. Det første hullet viser at mindre enn halvparten av studiene rapporterte aksepterbarhetsdata. Videre er det lite mangfold, både i form av metodikk og demografi. Bare 1 av 10 deltakere er kvinner, det er få studier med deltakere som har tilleggsdiagnoser, få deltakere over 30 år og få studier med VR-briller. I tillegg er det lite mangfold av metoder, det vil si; få RCTer eller kasuskontroll studier, og få multiple single-case design. Videre mangler det en teoretisk forankring i intervensjonsstudiene. Studie 3 viste at få følelser ble oppfattet korrekt, men at vanskelighetsgraden var rundt gjennomsnittet på en standard terskelverdi. Diskrimineringen mellom bildene indikerer at de deler 49% av variansen med den latente faktoren. I studie 4 identifiserte vi fem temaer som er viktige for implementering: (1) tilstrekkelig kunnskap og opplæring, (2) et internt og eksternt nettverk, (3) tilstrekkelige ressurser, (4) positive holdninger og (5) teknologiske egenskaper. Deltakerne var positive til å bruke VR i skolen. Konklusjon: Prosessforberedelsene fra denne avhandlingen gir forskere viktig kunnskap for videre arbeid. For det første er VR et foretrukket verktøy for mange autistiske individer, noe som gjør det til en teknologi verdt å utvikle. For det andre er det forskningshull som må fylles for å rettferdiggjøre fremtidige påstander om effektivitet. Forskere og klinikere bør være oppmerksomme på mulige feilslutninger knyttet til underliggende faktorer, slik som demonstrert i Studie 3. Videre, for å sikre riktig implementering av VR i skolene, og sannsynliggjøre behandlingsintegritet fra starten av, har vi tilgjengeliggjort verdifull informasjon om viktige faktorer som må tas hensyn til. Prosessforberedelsene synliggjort i denne avhandlingen er et ledd i å muliggjøre grundigere fremtidig forskning på autisme og VR.

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