When faces trigger feelings: multi-stakeholder experiences, use, and expectations of facial-emotion learning technologies and materials for autistic people

Difficulties in understanding facial emotions are common among individuals with ASD. Learning plays a vital role in improving emotional understanding. Although many technology-based designs for facial-emotion learning exist, prior work has mainly focused on novel technology creativity in research settings, with limited attention to real-world use, experience, and expectations for the technologies and materials. To address this gap, this study uses surveys and interviews to investigate (1) the challenges autistic individuals face in recognizing facial emotions, and (2) their use, perceptions, and design expectations for technology-based facial-emotion learning and materials. The results showed: (1) attentional patterns and challenges in recognizing facial emotions, as well as autonomous and positive coping responses; (2) limited use of facial-emotion technologies and a lack of awareness about the effectiveness of such materials; (3) technology offers convenience, comfort, and engagement but also presents cognitive, visual, and multisensory limits; (4) facial-emotion materials create challenges in understanding, arousal, and preferences shaped by individual differences. Finally, we propose design recommendations to guide future work.