Recognition of facial emotions training in autistic children - Clinical trial study
Authors:   Department of Pediatric Nursing, Chronic Diseases (Home Care) Research Center and Autism spectrum disorder, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Mohammadi Fateme , Khazaei Salman ,   Department of Health Sciences Research Center, Health Sciences & Technology Research Institute, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Bashirian Saeid ,   Department of Public Health, School of Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Sciences & Technology Research Institute, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Barati Majid ,   Department of Public Health, School of Health, Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Mirzaie Fatemeh ,   Department of Pediatric Nursing, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Rezaei Mohammad ,   Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Jenabi Ensiyeh ,   Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Cheraghi Fatemeh ,   Department of Pediatric Nursing, Chronic Diseases (Home Care) Research Center, Department of Pediatric Nursing, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, Moradi Vahid ,   Department of Nursing, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Published: December 2023

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.