Computer-Assisted Face Processing Instruction Improves Emotion Recognition, Mentalizing, and Social Skills in Students with ASD.

Rice et al. (2015) randomly assigned elementary students with autism to two groups. One group played the FaceSay computer game for thirty minutes a week. The other group kept their usual classes.

FaceSay shows cartoon faces that move and talk. Kids click on the right emotion or match faces to social scenes. The study tested emotion naming, mind-reading, and playground social skills after the sessions.

Children who used FaceSay got better at reading feelings in photos. They also improved at guessing what people might think or want. Teachers saw smoother peer play at recess.

The control group showed no change. Gains stayed strong weeks later.

IFaso et al. (2016) got the same good results with a different tool. They used half-dynamic video clips instead of FaceSay games. Both studies show computer faces can teach emotions to autistic students.

Hamama et al. (2021) added emotion-matching music to computer faces. Scores rose even higher. This extends FaceSay by showing a simple sound cue can boost learning.

Harrington et al. (2006) did the first test of a computer face tutor. Vocabulary lessons with an animated head beat voice-only lessons. FaceSay builds on that idea by aiming the face at social skills instead of words.

You already have tablets in most classrooms. Loading FaceSay or similar face-based programs gives an easy, low-dose social-skills boost. Pair the screen work with recess practice so the new emotion labels turn into real peer talk.