Transdiagnostic Predictors of Impaired Recognition of Facial Emotion Expression in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the predictive capacity of executive dysfunction and social adaptation in performance in facial emotion recognition. The sample consisted of 31 adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The variables that maintain significant correlations with emotional perception were taken as independent variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of the facial stimuli perception in population with ASD. The results demonstrated a relationship between social maturity and emotional perception. Better scores in communication, socialization and daily life skills predict better performance in the perception of facial stimuli, both emotional and non-emotional.