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Slowing Down Presentation of Facial Movements and Vocal Sounds Enhances Facial Expression Recognition and Induces Facial–Vocal Imitation in Children with Autism

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of slowing down presentation of facial expressions and their corresponding vocal sounds on facial expression recognition and facial and/or vocal imitation in children with autism. Twelve autistic children and twenty-four normal control children were presented with emotional and non-emotional facial expressions on CD-Rom, under audio or silent conditions, and under dynamic visual conditions (slowly, very slowly, at normal speed) plus a static control. Overall, children with autism showed lower performance in expression recognition and more induced facial–vocal imitation than controls. In the autistic group, facial expression recognition and induced facial–vocal imitation were significantly enhanced in slow conditions. Findings may give new perspectives for understanding and intervention for verbal and emotional perceptive and communicative impairments in autistic populations.

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Notes

  1. The TVAP (Active and Passive Vocabulary Test) is a french vocabulary test. It is made up of 30 sets of five pictures. These pictures represent either objects or actions. This test is divided in two subtests (Active and PassiveVocabulary subtests). In the Passive vocabulary subtest, the experimenter asks the child to point to one of the five pictures. This subtest assesses verbal comprehension level. In the Active Vocabulary subtest, the experimenter asks the child to give a definition of one of the five pictures. This subtest assesses verbal expression level. In our study, children with autism were matched with typically developing children using the passive Vocabulary subtest only.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank very sincerely all the parents who accepted the participation of their children in this study. We also thank all the children who participated in this study and hope that the results obtained will contribute to their rehabilitation in the future. We are grateful to David Béchu, Damien Penalba and Pierrick Leborgne, from the SCAM (Service Commun Audio-visuel et Multimédia, University of Provence), for their valuable technical assistance in the realization of facial and vocal stimuli.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Psychologie de la Connaissance, du Langage et des Emotions (PSYCLÉ), UFR de Psychologie, Université de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Carole Tardif, France Lainé & Mélissa Rodriguez

  2. Service de psychiatrie infanto-juvénile, Centre Hospitalier Montperrin, 109, Avenue du Petit Barthélémy, 13617, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Bruno Gepner

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  1. Carole Tardif
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  2. France Lainé
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  3. Mélissa Rodriguez
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  4. Bruno Gepner
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Correspondence to Bruno Gepner.

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Tardif, C., Lainé, F., Rodriguez, M. et al. Slowing Down Presentation of Facial Movements and Vocal Sounds Enhances Facial Expression Recognition and Induces Facial–Vocal Imitation in Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 1469–1484 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0223-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0223-x

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