Appointment Mentor VR is an immersive, interactive virtual reality experience designed to help individuals on the autism spectrum build confidence and skills for navigating medical appointments. Created with adults on the autism spectrum at nonPareil Institute—a nonprofit dedicated to empowering adults with autism through technical training and career development—this game simulates a doctor’s visit experience in a calm, repeatable environment.

From scheduling an appointment by phone to checking in with the receptionist, speaking with a nurse, and talking with the doctor, users can explore and practice each step at their own pace.

Whether preparing for a first appointment or reducing anxiety through repetition, Appointment Mentor VR offers a supportive space to build real-world readiness—free to everyone!  

This project is supported by the Organization for Autism Research (OAR), and by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR‐P) grant, UT2MC39440. The information, content and/or conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by OAR, HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. The recipient owns the copyright for materials that it develops under an award issued pursuant to this notice, and HHS/OAR reserve a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use those materials for federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so. In addition, pursuant to 45 CFR § 75.322(d), the Federal Government and OAR have the right to obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use data produced under this award and has the right to authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for federal purposes, e.g., to make it available in government-sponsored databases for use by others. If applicable, the specific scope of HRSA rights with respect to a particular grant-supported effort will be addressed in the NOA. Data and copyright-protected works developed by a subrecipient also are subject to the Federal Government’s copyright license and data rights.