Effects of Traditional and Virtual Reality-Based Vestibular Rehabilitation on Balance and Visual-Motor Skills in Children With Specific Learning Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to determine whether children with specific learning disorders (SLDs) exhibit impairments in vestibular and balance functions compared with typically developing peers and to assess the efficacy of traditional and virtual reality (VR)-based vestibular rehabilitation in improving balance performance, vestibular function, visual-motor integration, and learning-related outcomes.

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VR-based vestibular rehabilitation may be a viable alternative to traditional balance therapy for children with specific learning disorders; audiologists and allied health providers working with this population should note this as an emerging evidence-based option, pending replication in larger samples.

Demonstrating that VR-based vestibular rehabilitation can match or exceed traditional methods in children opens a scalable, engaging therapeutic avenue for a population that is often underserved by standard balance interventions.

1. 01RCT directly compared VR-based vs. traditional vestibular rehabilitation in children with specific learning disorders.
2. 02Outcomes measured: balance performance and visual-motor (eye-hand coordination) skills.
3. 03VR delivery may improve engagement and accessibility of vestibular therapy for pediatric patients.
4. 04Published in the American Journal of Audiology (2026).
5. 05Findings are relevant to audiologists, vestibular therapists, and school-based health providers.

PMID

42735284

DOI

10.1044/2026_AJA-26-00030.

Journal

American Journal of Audiology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

1b

Population

Children with specific learning disorders

Intervention

Virtual reality-based vestibular rehabilitation

Comparator

Traditional vestibular rehabilitation