Demonstration and Evaluation of Avatar Assistant:
Encouraging Social Development in Children with
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Maria Hopkins, PhD
Fred Biasini, PhD
The University of Alabama at Birmingham

The overall purpose of our third study was to determine if a computer-based social skills intervention for children with autism or Asperger Syndrome is effective in improving specific social skills.

View the PowerPoint presentation given at UA Tuscaloosa

Specific Aims:
- The study investigated the effects of an avatar assistant on children with ASD’s emotional cognition.
- The study examined the social skills effects of the intervention.

Measures:
- Social Skills Rating System
- Social Skills Observation
- Emotional Cognition
- Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT)
- Childhood Autism Rating Scale
- Benton Test of Facial Recognition

Participants:
- Children with autism (n=25) or Asperger Syndrome (n=24)
- Diagnosis based on DSM-IV criteria
- Age range 6-15 (M = 10.17)
- 44 boys; 5 girls
- Mitchell’s Place, Glenwood, Shelby County schools

Intervention and Control:
- FaceSay and Tux Paint
- 12 sessions (2 per week for 30 minutes)
- One child per computer
- 1-2 research assistants
- Touch screens
- Attendance rates >83% (10 sessions)
- Rewards

Participant Demographics:
Group:             Autism                       Aspergers
Variable:   Training   Control      Training   Control
Age            10.31      10.57           10.05        9.85
                 (3.31)      (3.20)          (2.30)      (2.87)
IQ              55.09       54.79           91.88      93.04
                (20.91)    (16.41)         (19.54)    (25.47)
CARS          36.64       36.92           34.01      35.03
                 (3.93)       (5.79)          (5.26)     (5.22)

Results 1:  Emotion Recognition
Group:             Autism                       Aspergers
Measure     Control   Training      Control   Training
Adjusted       5.23       6.53             6.79        8.7
Means of       (p < 0.05)                    (p < 0.05)
Emotion
Recognition
Autism:    Total emotional skills, F(1, 21) = 6.40,  p < 0.05
Asperger: Total emotional skills, F(1, 20) = 23.04,  p < 0.001

Post hoc analysis: 
R2 = 0.873, F(3, 21) = 55.96, p < 0.001
Higher KBIT scores and pre-test Emotion Composite scores were related to higher post-test Emotion Composite scores.

Results 2:  Facial Recognition
Group:             Autism                       Aspergers
Measure     Control   Training      Control   Training
Adjusted    12.84        14.48         15.42      18.41
Means of       (p > 0.05)                    (p < 0.05)
Facial
Recognition
Autism:     Benton-Short form F(1, 21) = 0.69, p > 0.05
Asperger:  Benton-Short form F(1, 20) = 8.29, p < 0.01

Results 3:  Parent Reported Social Skills
Group:             Autism                       Aspergers
Measure     Control   Training      Control   Training
Adjusted    58.51        64.99         62.27       67.77
Means of       (p < 0.05)                    (p = 0.05)
Social
Skills
Rating
Autism:     SSRS, F(1, 21) = 10.36,  p < 0.05
Asperger:  SSRS, F(1, 20) = 4.36,  p = 0.05

Results 4:  Observed Social Skills
Group:             Autism                       Aspergers
Measure     Control   Training      Control   Training
Adjusted      11.04        9.6           10.46      7.54
Means of      (p < 0.05)                    (p < 0.05)
Social
Skills
Observation
Autism:    F(1, 21) = 5.05,  p < 0.05
Asperger: F(1, 20) = 13.61, p < 0.001

Post hoc analysis: 
R2 = 0.209, F(3, 21) = 3.12, p < 0.05
Higher CARS scores (e.g. more autism symptoms) were related to higher post-test Social Skills Observation scores (e.g. more inappropriate social interactions)

Acknolwedgements
Autism Lab
Symbionica
Dr. Franklin R. Amthor
Civitan International
Mitchells' Place
Glenwood