Teachers are putting their students at the center of their lessons, giving them close-up looks at faraway planets and long-ago battles — all with virtual reality.

It’s a trend Kristen Powell, an assistive technology trainer and consultant with the education agency Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) in Pennsylvania, noticed a couple of years ago at schools served by the regional education agency. Teachers used VR headsets and software to make lessons more engaging and realistic in subjects such as science and history.

She began to wonder whether VR might work in special education. “We’re always looking for what’s new out there to help our students move forward,” Powell says.

What she discovered, and what more and more educators across the country are beginning to realize, is that VR is a useful tool for students with special needs, particularly those on the autism spectrum. Many students with autism need practice navigating real-life settings and scenarios that neurotypical students take for granted. VR headsets and software can provide lifelike simulations that allow students to repeat behaviors multiple times before applying their learning in the real world.