Evaluation of a New Computer Intervention to Teach People with Autism or Asperger Syndrome to Recognize and Predict Emotions in Others

This randomized controlled trial looked at the effect of a new computer program designed to teach people with autistic spectrum disorders to better recognize and predict emotional responses in others. Two groups of 11 children (age 12-18) with autism or Asperger syndrome at two special schools parti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Autism : the international journal of research and practice 2001-09, Vol.5 (3), p.299-316
Main Authors: Silver, Miriam, Oakes, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome - psychology
Asperger Syndrome - rehabilitation
Autism
Autistic Disorder - psychology
Autistic Disorder - rehabilitation
Child
Communication Skills
Computer Assisted Instruction
Education, Special
Emotional Response
Emotions
Empathy
Facial Expression
Female
Humans
Instructional Effectiveness
Interpersonal Competence
Interpersonal Relations
Intervention
Male
Nonverbal Communication
Social Cognition
Social Perception
Software
Young Adults
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Summary:This randomized controlled trial looked at the effect of a new computer program designed to teach people with autistic spectrum disorders to better recognize and predict emotional responses in others. Two groups of 11 children (age 12-18) with autism or Asperger syndrome at two special schools participated: one group used the computer program for 10 half-hour sessions over 2 weeks. Within-program data showed a significant reduction in errors made from first to last use. Students were assessed pre- and post-intervention using facial expression photographs, cartoons depicting emotion-laden situations, and non-literal stories. Scores were not related to age or verbal ability. The experimental group made gains relative to the control group on all three measures. Gains correlated significantly with the number of times the computer program was used and results suggest positive effects. Further research could assess whether these gains generalized into real life or improved performance on theory of mind measures.
ISSN:1362-3613
1461-7005
DOI:10.1177/1362361301005003007