Frequently Asked Questions
For Parents & Caregivers
What is VOISS?
VOISS is a research-backed extended reality (XR) platform that helps middle school students build essential social skills through safe, scenario-based practice. Students play through realistic social situations — like starting a conversation, handling disagreements, or reading social cues — and get to practice these skills in a low-pressure setting before using them in real life.
In this document, we answer frequently asked questions from parents and caregivers to help you feel comfortable and confident empowering your child with VOISS.
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What age group is VOISS designed for?
VOISS is designed specifically for middle school-age students. The scenarios, language, and skill-building content are built around the social situations kids typically encounter in these years.
Does my child need a diagnosis or an IEP to use VOISS?
No. VOISS was developed with students with disabilities in mind and is widely used to support IEP goals, but it's built to help any middle schooler strengthen social skills. Many families use it simply because their child could benefit from more confidence and practice in social situations.
What social skills does VOISS actually teach?
VOISS includes 140 scenarios covering more than 180 individual social skills — things like starting and maintaining conversations, understanding tone and body language, managing conflict, working in groups, and building self-advocacy. Each scenario lets a student practice a specific skill in context, rather than just reading about it.
What devices does VOISS work on?
VOISS is available on tablets, computers, and VR headsets (including Meta Quest), and can be downloaded through Google Play or the App Store. Your child can use whatever device you already have — a headset isn't required.
Is the content in VOISS safe and age-appropriate?
Yes. Every scenario is developed and reviewed by researchers and practitioners with a background in child development and special education. VOISS is a closed, structured environment — there's no open chat, social media component, or contact with other users, so your child is only interacting with the built-in scenarios.
Does my child need to use VOISS with a parent or teacher present?
Not necessarily. VOISS is designed so students can use it independently and at their own pace, whether at home or at school. That said, many families and teachers do check in on progress together, since seeing what a child is working on can open up good conversations at home.
Can I see how my child is progressing?
Can I see how my child is progressing?
Yes. VOISS includes a companion tool for parents and educators that shows point-in-time assessments, ongoing progress monitoring, and suggested next scenarios based on where your child needs more practice. You don't have to guess — the data is built in.
Yes. VOISS includes a companion tool for parents and educators that shows point-in-time assessments, ongoing progress monitoring, and suggested next scenarios based on where your child needs more practice. You don't have to guess — the data is built in.
Is VOISS actually backed by research, or is this just an app?
Is VOISS actually backed by research, or is this just an app?
VOISS was developed over more than a decade of research in real classrooms with real students and practitioners. It comes out of the University of Kansas's Department of Special Education — ranked the #1 public special education program in the country — and has been used by more than 3,000 students and 300 teachers. Published research on VOISS's effectiveness is available on our Research page.
VOISS was developed over more than a decade of research in real classrooms with real students and practitioners. It comes out of the University of Kansas's Department of Special Education — ranked the #1 public special education program in the country — and has been used by more than 3,000 students and 300 teachers. Published research on VOISS's effectiveness is available on our Research page.
Is VOISS meant to replace therapy, counseling, or in-person social skills instruction?
No. VOISS is designed to complement — not replace — the support your child may already be getting from a therapist, counselor, or special education team. It's a practice tool that helps reinforce and generalize skills your child is working on elsewhere.
How do I get VOISS for my child?
You can download VOISS directly for free trial access on your device of choice, or purchase full access through our website. If your child's school or district already uses VOISS, ask their special education team whether you can be added to their existing program. If you have questions before getting started, you can request a short demo or contact our team directly.
How do I get VOISS for my child?
You can download VOISS directly for free trial access on your device of choice, or purchase full access through our website. If your child's school or district already uses VOISS, ask their special education team whether you can be added to their existing program. If you have questions before getting started, you can request a short demo or contact our team directly.
