Relationships between Affect Recognition, Empathy, Alexithymia, and Co-Occurring Conditions in Autism
, Christiana D. Butera 1,2, Emily Kilroy 1,2, Laura Harrison 1,2, Sharon A. Cermak 1,3 and Lisa Aziz-Zadeh 1,2,*Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
While the distinction discussed could be an effective addition to a portfolio of methods utilized to diagnose patients, the differences can be subtle in many cases. In some instances, it could be more confusing that helpful in arriving in a definitive diagnosis.
Author Response
We thank the Reviewer for their time and effort in reviewing our manuscript and we agree with the Reviewer’s point. Our focus on looking at interactions between variables is motivated by trying to understand which symptomologies may cluster together to better inform interventions. Understanding the factors which moderate the presentation of symptomatology with respect to empathy and affect recognition may help us look at our current interventional strategies with a more critical lens and aid in improving effectiveness. This data is not meant to provide any diagnostic criteria. We have added our focus on informing interventions at the end of the Introduction.
Please find the revised manuscript attached.
Reviewer 2 Report
The study presented addresses a very important issue in the field of autism. The research design is clear, the methodology is clear, the presentation of the results is exhaustive. The sample used for the study is sufficiently large considering the experimental typology.
The only revision that should be made concerns the introduction, since the introduction should give the reader a broader context of the phenomenon.
The topic is so important that various research groups are experimenting with technological systems for the treatment of emotional and social difficulties and for this reason it is necessary to continue studying these topics.
Read the following pepers:
Children on the autism spectrum and the use of virtual reality for supporting social skills (Frolli)
Virtual reality and emotion regulation: a systematic review (Vita)
Video modeling and social skills learning in ASD-HF (Frolli)
Development of emotional skills through videomodeling: A case study with a non-verbal participant (Iovino)
Author Response
We thank the Reviewer for their time and effort on our manuscript and for bringing to our attention these very interesting papers. We have modified the Introduction in accordance with the Reviewer’s suggestions.
Please find the revised manuscript attached.
