The pilot unveiled at the 81st UN General Assembly will bring Floreo Skills XP, a virtual reality platform, to autistic youth and adults in new regions
NEW YORK – Sept. 30, 2026 – A multi-country pilot of virtual reality (VR) therapy for autistic youth and adults was announced on Friday at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by the Global Autism Advocacy Coalition (GAAC). The GAAC will deploy Floreo SkillsXP, a VR-based therapy platform that helps neurodivergent people build social, behavioral, communication, and daily living skills, to expand access to evidence-based support for individuals in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Founded in 2025 by Qatar Foundation, Autism Speaks, and UNICEF, with support from the World Health Organization, GAAC brings governments, researchers, philanthropies, and industry leaders together to close gaps in autism services, policy, data, and innovation. Floreo's pilot is an early test of GAAC's approach to finding promising technologies and scaling them responsibly across cultures and geographies. It is supported by the coalition's regional hubs in Doha, Central Asia and the South Caucasus, and the United States.
"Autistic individuals and their families face many of the same challenges no matter where they live, but access to effective support still depends far too much on geography," said Vijay Ravindran, founder and CEO of Floreo. "This pilot is an important first step toward changing that. It means autistic youth and adults in new countries will have the opportunity to build confidence and independence in everyday life, through programs adapted to their own languages and cultures. We're grateful to the Global Autism Advocacy Coalition and its partners for their leadership, and proud to help show what's possible when proven technology is shared across borders."
The pilot, led by Autism Impact Fund, a GAAC founding member, will first adapt Floreo SkillsXP to the language and culture of each pilot site, then test the platform in real-world settings across those sites to confirm it is safe and effective. Outcomes and cost will be analyzed and published at the completion of the pilot. The end goal is a playbook that GAAC can use to evaluate future autism technologies and help set international standards for bringing these tools to families around the world.
Floreo’s autism-focused therapeutic technology was the first VR-based autism intervention to receive Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Floreo SkillsXP is evidence-based, backed by research conducted by programs including the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the National Institutes of Health. In the United States, Floreo is available in schools, clinics, and in the home, and families can access Floreo's services through state programs in Tennessee, New York, North Carolina, Florida, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Floreo is also expanding access internationally, including through an Arabic-language version of its platform designed to support neurodiverse learners, families, and providers across Arabic-speaking markets.
To learn more about GAAC and its flagship initiatives, visit www.qf.org.qa/gaac. To learn more about Floreo, visit https://floreovr.com/
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About Floreo
Floreo's vision is a world that is open and accessible for every neurodiverse person. Through immersive virtual reality experiences, Floreo creates safe, engaging environments where learners can build skills and tools they can apply in their everyday lives. Floreo's virtual reality platform teaches social, behavioral, communication, and life skills for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodiverse conditions. For more information, please visit floreovr.com.