Psychometric properties of the Cambridge-Mindreading Face-Voice Battery for Children in children with ASD.
The CAM-C is a quick, reliable yard-stick for tracking emotion-recognition growth in school-age autistic clients without ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team checked if the child version of the Cambridge Mindreading Face-Voice Battery works for autistic kids. They gave the CAM-C to school-age children with autism who do not have intellectual disability.
Kids watched short clips showing faces, voices, or both. After each clip they picked the emotion word that best fit. The researchers looked at whether scores stayed steady over time and hung together as a single measure.
What they found
Total CAM-C scores were reliable. Internal consistency was good and test-retest scores stayed stable.
The tool can be trusted to track emotion-recognition skill in 6- to 12-year-old autistic clients without ID.
How this fits with other research
Golan et al. (2006) built the original adult CAM battery and showed adults with Asperger syndrome scored far below typical adults. Garwood et al. (2021) now give us a kid version that holds up psychometrically, extending the line downward in age.
Whaling et al. (2025) pooled 595 participants and found computer emotion training gives a quick boost but gains fade. The CAM-C gives you a quick, sound way to measure that boost or fade in your own clients.
Ohan et al. (2015) showed Mind Reading software plus real-life rehearsal improved emotion skills in 7- to 12-year-olds. You can use the CAM-C before and after that package to see if each child really moves the needle.
Why it matters
You now have a brief, free, psychometrically solid test that flags where an elementary client stands with complex emotions. Use it to set baseline, show parents objective progress, and decide when to fade or intensify emotion training. No extra materials needed—just a tablet or laptop.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the psychometric characteristics of the Cambridge-Mindreading Face-Voice Battery for Children (CAM-C) for a sample of 333 children, ages 6-12 years with ASD (with no intellectual disability). Internal consistency was very good for the Total score (0.81 for both Faces and Voices) and respectable for the Complex emotions score (0.72 for Faces and 0.74 for Voices); however, internal consistency was lower for Simple emotions (0.65 for Faces and 0.61 for Voices). Test-retest reliability at 18 and 36 weeks was very good for the faces and voices total (0.76-0.81) and good for simple and complex faces and voices (0.53-0.75). Significant correlations were found between CAM-C Faces and scores on another measure of face-emotion recognition (Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-Second Edition), and between Faces and Voices scores and child age, IQ (except perceptual IQ and Simple Voice emotions), and language ability. Parent-reported ASD symptom severity and the Emotion Recognition scale on the SRS-2 were not related to CAM-C scores. Suggestions for future studies and further development of the CAM-C are provided. LAY SUMMARY: Facial and vocal emotion recognition are important for social interaction and have been identified as a challenge for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Emotion recognition is an area frequently targeted by interventions. This study evaluated a measure of emotion recognition (the CAM-C) for its consistency and validity in a large sample of children with autism. The study found the CAM-C showed many strengths needed to accurately measure the change in emotion recognition during intervention.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2021 · doi:10.1002/aur.2546