Immersive Behavioral Therapy for Phobia Treatment in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Carlos Cortés, Ainhoa Fernández-Alcaide, Marta Goyena, María Nava-Ruiz, Marta Orduna, Matteo Dal Magro, Jesús Gutiérrez, Pablo Pérez, Narciso García

Abstract: Adapting traditional behavioral therapy with eXtended Reality (XR) and physiological data allows phobia treatment for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Using systematic desensitization, our tool creates tailored virtual environments for stair-related phobias. Therapists guide the process, monitoring real-time data from the Head-Mounted Display and Empatica E4 wristband during the session. This approach promises a valid transition from classical to immersive therapies. A video demo can be seen in: https://youtu.be/pCvxhyyMpq0.