Recognition of AAC Graphic Emotion Symbols in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study investigates the recognition of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) graphic emotion symbols (face-, body-, and context-based) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to their typically developing peers. The participants were 15 children with ASD and 15 age-matched peers. Their accuracy in recognising five emotions was assessed using structured tasks. A two-way mixed ANOVA revealed a significant main group effect, indicating that children with ASD performed significantly lower than their typically developing peers. The results suggest that recognition varies depending on the type of emotion and the visual format used. They also emphasize the importance of designing emotion symbols that accommodate the perceptual and cognitive characteristics of children with ASD. Such designs could facilitate more effective emotional expression and communication in AAC interventions.