Débora Dias holds a Master’s in Educational Sciences and Special Education and an advanced specialisation in Inclusive Education and Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is a PhD student in Education at the University of Aveiro. Her research examines how ludic narrative and virtual reality can enhance the participation of students on the autism spectrum in Physical Education. Her theoretical framework draws on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, which positions virtual reality as a safe, cyclical learning environment, and on Ryan and Deci’s Self-Determination Theory, which informs the design of ludic narratives to foster autonomy, competence, relatedness, and intrinsic motivation.

Her research interests include serious games for neurodivergent audiences, inclusive education, the adaptation of accessible instructional materials, applications of Vr within the context of neurodiversity, assistive communication technologies, and educational practices relating to autism.