Virtual Reality: Creating Safe Spaces for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Kimberly Martinez; info@ciddl.org
Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often experience school environments as unpredictable and emotionally demanding. Many students struggle with regulation, peer conflict, and stress tolerance in high-stimulus settings. Educators cultivate safety through strong relationships, consistent routines, and explicit behavioral instruction. Virtual reality (VR) can extend these supports by creating controlled, repeatable environments for practice.
VR as a Structured Practice Space
VR allows educators to design simulated environments where students rehearse social interactions, transitions, and coping strategies without real-world social pressure. These immersive spaces allow repeated attempts, adjustable pacing, and targeted feedback tied directly to IEP goals.
According to Carreon, Criss, and Mosher (2023), classroom virtual reality applications should align with clearly defined instructional objectives and learner needs. They emphasized that educators must intentionally select VR content rather than adopt immersive tools without purpose. Their preliminary guide to classroom VR content provides a structured approach for selecting experiences appropriate for students with disabilities.
CIDDL’s Research and Practice Brief with Dr. Sean Smith described how virtual reality supports social-emotional learning by providing safe, simulated opportunities to practice communication, emotional regulation, and perspective taking. This resource highlights how VR environments can reinforce explicit SEL instruction and help students build confidence before applying skills in real classroom settings.
Supporting Social-Emotional Skill Development
Students with EBD benefit from low-risk environments that support rehearsal before high-stakes peer interaction. Immersive VR provides simulated contexts where students practice perspective-taking, communication strategies, and emotional regulation skills.
Carreon, Smith, Frey, Rowland, and Mosher (2024) found that immersive VR formats influenced social skill acquisition differently than non-immersive approaches for middle school students. Their findings suggest that immersive design features can affect engagement and skill development, which highlights the importance of format selection when implementing VR supports.
Strengthening Classroom Practice Through VR
Safe spaces for students also depend on teacher practices. Virtual reality supports professional development by allowing educators to rehearse classroom management strategies in simulated settings.
Carreon, Criss, and Kelley (2026) reported that immersive VR video, combined with performance-feedback coaching, improved novice teachers’ classroom practices. They demonstrated measurable improvements in behavior-specific praise and instructional delivery. Such practices contribute to predictable and supportive classroom environments, which directly benefit students with EBD.
CIDDL’s Research and Practice Brief with Dr. Carreon also described how 360-degree camera technology and VR headsets support reflective teacher training. Their work highlights how immersive rehearsal and feedback cycles strengthen educator readiness before high-stakes classroom implementation.
Looking Ahead
VR does not replace human connection or trauma-informed practice. VR expands structured opportunities for rehearsal, reflection, and skill development. When educators anchor VR use to clear goals, data review, and relationship-centered instruction, immersive technology strengthens safety rather than distracts from it.
Educators working with students with EBD can view VR as an extension of structured behavioral practice. Intentional integration, rather than novelty, determines impact.
Join the conversation in our community!
CIDDL is committed to providing high-quality resources to support the growing knowledge, adoption, and use of educational technologies by educators, related services, and leadership preparation programs. For more resources, including videos and blogs, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The most important part of our CIDDL community is YOU. Join our community and share the innovative ways you are using technology, ask a question about technology integration, or participate in our bi-weekly live AI Community Chats. We look forward to seeing you in our community!