Teaching autistic kids to read facial expressions

Nigel the bus loves to travel fast. When traffic slows him down, he gets angry -- and shows it.

Jennie the helpful tram normally wears a sunny smile, but her lip curls in disgust when she has to transport a load of smelly fish to the market.

Nigel and Jennie star alongside six other vehicles in "The Transporters," a series of short videos designed to help autistic children recognize the emotions in others' faces. Since its U.S. release in January, families, schools and clinics across the country have purchased the British-made series.

For people with autism, facial expressions can be mysterious, even frightening. New tools are emerging to help them learn to decipher faces and thus better handle the social interactions they find difficult. In a scientific study, "The Transporters," with actors' faces grafted onto appealing vehicles, helped autistic kids learn expressions. Autism therapy robots are also under development in the U.K.; the inventors hope they will help teach basic social skills.

And at UCLA, clinicians are working on computer-based facial-training programs, as well as the possibility that medication may improve attention to social cues.

Surveys of medical records show that one in 150 American children has an autism spectrum disorder, which includes autism and related conditions such as Asperger syndrome, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. These developmental disabilities cause social impairment and limited, repetitive behaviors. Children commonly enjoy predictable objects, and the vast array of unexpected expressions on a human face can be frustrating.

"The social world is confusing; it's unpredictable and scary," says Elizabeth Laugeson, director of a research collaboration between UCLA and the Help Group, a Los Angeles nonprofit that runs schools and outreach programs for children with special needs.

No one knows exactly why autistic people have trouble dealing with faces, says Dr. Judith Piggot, director of the UCLA Autism Evaluation Clinic. One theory is that autistic people have the capability to understand faces, but, for some reason, don't find the process to be rewarding -- and so they don't bother.

The lack of ability, or interest, in social cues makes it hard to form relationships. At Help Group schools, and at other similar programs, social skills are an essential part of the curriculum. Children practice identifying facial expressions on their teachers or in pictures. Computer programs that present different expressions are also available.