This study evaluated the effectiveness of an avatar-based social skills intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. The study measured changes in emotional cognition, facial recognition, parent-reported social skills, and observed social skills in 49 children with autism or Asperger syndrome who received 12 sessions with an avatar assistant over 6 weeks compared to controls. Results showed significant improvements in emotional cognition, facial recognition, parent-reported social skills, and observed social skills for children who received the intervention compared to controls, indicating the avatar-based intervention was effective at improving specific social skills for children with autism spectrum disorders.

1. Demonstration and Evaluation of Avatar Assistant: Encouraging Social Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Fred Biasini, Ph.D. Maria Hopkins, Ph.D.

5. Benton example Which 3 faces match the top one? (Correct answer 2, 5, and 6)

8. Participant Demographics 34.01 (5.26) 91.88 (19.54) 10.05 (2.30) Training (n=13) 35.03 (5.22) 93.04 (25.47) 9.85 (2.87) Control (n=11) Asperger Syndrome 54.79 (16.41) 55.09 (20.91) IQ 36.92 (5.79) 36.64 (3.93) CARS 10.57 (3.20) 10.31 (3.31) Age Control (n=14) Training (n=11) Variable Autism Group

9. Results 1: Emotion Recognition p < 0.05 p < 0.05 Autism: Total emotional skills, F (1, 21) = 6.40, p < 0.05 Asperger: Total emotional skills, F (1, 20) = 23.04, p < 0.001

11. Results 2: Facial Recognition p < 0.05 p > 0.05 Autism: Benton-Short form F (1, 21) = 0.69, p > 0.05 Asperger: Benton-Short form F (1, 20) = 8.29, p < 0.01

12. Results 3: Parent Reported Social Skills p < 0.05 p = 0.05 Autism: SSRS, F (1, 21) = 10.36, p < 0.05 Asperger: SSRS, F (1, 20) = 4.36, p = 0.05

13. Results 4: Observed Social Skills p < 0.05 p < 0.05 Autism: F (1, 21) = 5.05, p < 0.05 Asperger: F (1, 20) = 13.61, p < 0.001 Note: Lower Scores are Better