Access cutting-edge tech for Mental Health
CREATE is a steward of new pediatric technologies; offering guidance, resources and networks of support to the innovators pushing forwards children’s health.
One of our first projects involved testing VR tools at various care providing centers within Miami-Dade County.
With the help of an Innovation Grant from The Children’s Trust of Miami CREATE was able to conduct a year-long site study, develop a Needs Assessment Map for VR in Miami-Dade County, as well as innovate with ASD focused protocols using VR.
Funded by The Children's Trust of Miami
The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of all children and families in Miami-Dade County. Their mission is to partner with community providers to plan, advocate for and fund strategic investments that improve the lives of all children and families in Miami-Dade County.
We are so grateful they have supported our work by awarding our VR program an Innovation Grant.
Our Innovation Grant from the Children’s Trust will produce exciting results!
- A comprehensive study to identify the best areas and workflow fit for the VR software system in Miami-Dade sites.
- Quantitative and qualitative data gathered throughout the study with 4 varied partner sites.
- Visual map of locations outlining the sites that are qualified to benefit from the VR software for equal access to mental health tech
- Materials, resources and strategy outlined to support community partners in integrating the VR software system
- Parameters and stakeholders required for successful implementation of VR system for pediatric settings
- Stress Mitigation Best Practices including environmental and process-based impacts to stress informed by our study data
- ASD specific use cases for proactive and reactive mental health support.
We want to thank the board and staff of The Children’s Trust for helping begin this exciting area of support for families in Miami-Dade County!
All Families Should Have Access To The Latest Technology for Children's Mental Health
CREATE has made it it’s mission to make that a reality. Our VR program is just one example of technologies we’re actively supporting through studies, increasing access and development of new tools.
Virtual Reality (VR) offers immersive, controlled environments that help children safely explore emotions, practice coping strategies, and rehearse real-world scenarios.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, VR engages children visually and kinesthetically, making it especially effective for those with attention challenges or communication difficulties. For children with anxiety, trauma, or autism, VR provides calming spaces or simulated exposures that reduce distress while building confidence. It can also be used during moments of dysregulation as a reset tool, helping children regulate their nervous system more effectively. By making therapy feel like play, VR improves engagement, reduces stigma, and supports long-term emotional resilience.
Evidence-Based Facts:
A 2021 study in JMIR Mental Health found that VR-based exposure therapy significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in children aged 8–14, with higher engagement than traditional cognitive behavioral therapy.
(Source: JMIR Ment Health. 2021;8(5):e26260)Research published in Autism Research (2020) showed that children with autism using VR social training modules improved in emotional recognition and social interaction skills.
(Source: Autism Research. 2020 Mar;13(3):411-421)A Stanford Children’s Hospital study found that pediatric patients using VR during medical procedures reported lower pain scores and reduced stress compared to control groups.
(Source: Stanford Children’s Health, Pediatric Pain Management Program)- A Computers in Human Behavior study revealed that virtual reality can improve social cognitive skills in children with ASD and provides an interactive, stimulating, safe and socially non-threatening approach. (Source: Computers And Human Behavior, Volume 62, September 2016, Pages 703-711)
CREATE is helping support families by developing:
Educational Guides & Protocols
Our team is developing evidence-based guides and implementation protocols to help educators, therapists, and caregivers use VR effectively. These resources are informed by real-world data and designed to ensure safe, engaging, and developmentally appropriate use of VR in various care settings.
Building Skills
Virtual Reality provides children with immersive experiences that support emotional regulation, social interaction practice, and expressive communication in safe, repeatable environments. By simulating real-life challenges and offering calming or instructional modules, VR strengthens core developmental skills in an accessible and engaging way.
What's Next...
Our work isn’t done.
We’re developing specialized guides that focus in on how VR can support solve problems for neurodiverse children!
Our collaboration with The Easterseals School for Autism has helped us learn about how valuable VR can be for children with ASD related diagnosis.
Our study is growing to help support families with innovative therapy plans using VR and the development of ASD specific therapy environments that help families practice common scenarios and spaces that trouble children.