A single case design evaluation of a software and tutor intervention addressing emotion recognition and social interaction in four boys with ASD.

Many students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have delays learning to recognize emotions. Social behavior is also challenging, including initiating interactions, responding to others, developing peer relationships, and so forth. In this single case design study we investigated the relationship between use of computer software (Mind Reading: The Interactive Guide to Emotions) and emotion recognition (ER) and social behavior change. After using Mind Reading for 7 to 10 weeks with a tutor, four boys with ASD improved ER scores and social interactions with peers. However, observed behavior changes were not strong enough to claim a causal relationship between variables. Findings, practice implications, and future research are discussed.