Recognition of facial emotions training in autistic children - Clinical trial study

Abstract

Introduction. Disability to recognize emotional and mental states from other people’s facial expressions is acknowledged as one of the major developmental-behavioral problems in autistic children. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of traditional and computer emotional facial training on the recognition of facial emotional states in children with autism and mother-child relation and parental competence in mothers of autistic children. Material and Methods. The present was clinical trial study. The children in the both groups were trained during 10 sessions. In traditional group children training using 40 images related to four situations as happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. The children in the computer group trained with the Let’s Face It software. These questionnaires were completed one day before and one day and one week after performing the intervention. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results. Findings showed that emotional state training has improved the identification of emotional states (p = 0.01), mother-child relation (p = 0.001) and parental competence (p = 0.001) in the both groups. There was also a statistically significant difference between the scores of identifying face emotional states (p = 0.01), mother-child relation (p = 0.001) and parental competence (p = 0.001) in the both groups. But training in traditional group was effectiveness than computer grope. Conclusion. Teaching emotional face to children with autism improved the recognition of emotional states by these children, and subsequently improved the mother-child relationship and motherly sense of competence in the mothers of these children.

Keywords

• emotional face
• children
• autism
• parents
• clinical trial