Emotions: ABA Sessions

Sometimes it is hard for us to express our emotions to others. May it be because a certain situation, event or even time of the day, it's not always easy to tell someone how you feel. Unfortunately, for those on the spectrum it’s even harder. 

There is a persistent misconception that people with Autism lack empathy and cannot understand emotion. Autism doesn’t make an individual unable to feel the emotions, it just makes them communicate and perceive emotions and expressions in different ways. In fact, various people on the spectrum (about a half) suffer from symptoms of anxiety and depression that affect their quality of life. Although, not a lot is known about the causes of these difficulties or how best treat them. 

Studies also suggest that autistic children have greater difficulty with emotions “that are much more socially oriented" which can be anything from jealousy to pride. They also struggle with reading emotions in other people. This is accounted to problems with facial processing.  There is an area in the brain that becomes especially reared with facial processing and recognition. Over time, this area becomes stronger. In individuals with ASD, that is not the case. The amygdala (plays a play a key role in the processing of emotions) is also not well regulated which affects the processing of emotions.  Dr. Susan Bookheimer, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at UCLA, states that “rather than lacking emotion, it’s likely that autistic people struggle to “think through and work through” the emotions they experience.”

To encourage emotional developments, ABA therapists recommend these following ideas. 

1. Using emotion cards: Many therapists utilize cards that have  pictures of faces, either real or cartoon, to teach students basic emotions.

   

   This is an example of a sample emotions card.

    
2. Being responsive and bringing up different emotions in different situations: For example, if you are going to the movies bring up a conversation like “ I’m so excited to go to the movies!” This reinforces the emotion and helps the child better associate different emotions with their appropriate situations. 
3. Be involved. Read different stories, watch movies, and go to fun events with the child. Help them get exposed to the natural stimuli where they can label emotions in natural contexts. Something like, “Look he is crying, he’s sad”when watching a movie can reinforce this skill.

Emotion plays a big role in daily life. Though it cannot be directly taught, it can definitely be encouraged.