Ali AlAbd, A., Ibrahim, F., Ahmed, F. (2024). The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement Program about Alexithymia among Children with Autism. Assiut Scientific Nursing Journal, 12(47), 250-263. doi: 10.21608/asnj.2024.333003.1943
Asmaa Mohamed Ali AlAbd; Fathyea Said Sayed Ibrahim; Faten Mohamed Ahmed. "The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement Program about Alexithymia among Children with Autism". Assiut Scientific Nursing Journal, 12, 47, 2024, 250-263. doi: 10.21608/asnj.2024.333003.1943
Ali AlAbd, A., Ibrahim, F., Ahmed, F. (2024). 'The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement Program about Alexithymia among Children with Autism', Assiut Scientific Nursing Journal, 12(47), pp. 250-263. doi: 10.21608/asnj.2024.333003.1943
Ali AlAbd, A., Ibrahim, F., Ahmed, F. The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement Program about Alexithymia among Children with Autism. Assiut Scientific Nursing Journal, 2024; 12(47): 250-263. doi: 10.21608/asnj.2024.333003.1943
The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement Program about Alexithymia among Children with Autism
Assistant Professor of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Benha University, Egypt.
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder frequently exhibit alexithymia, which is thought to be the cause of issues with anxiety, despair, and anger that are frequently observed. To reduce emotion regulation impairment and improve behavioral disturbance, the emotional awareness and skills enhancement program was created. With regard to alexithymia in children with autism, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of emotion awareness and skills enhancement program on alexithymia among autistic children. Using one group pre/post, a quasi-experimentaldesign was used. Subjects: Children's outpatient clinics at the Psychiatric and Mental Health Hospital in Benha City, Qalyubia Governorate, provided a purposeful sample of fifty children with autism diagnoses. Data were gathered using the structured interview questionnaire and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. The primary research results showed that, prior to program intervention, slightly over three-quarters of the children in the study exhibited alexithymia. However, less than 25% of them had alexithymia following program intervention, but over half of them had probable alexithymia. The study concluded that, the implementation of an emotion awareness and skills enhancement program showed highly significant differences (P < 0.001) regarding all subscales of emotion control abilities. Therefore, to enhance the capacity of autistic children and those with alexithymia perceive emotions better, it is recommended that, nurses attend seminars in different approaches, including mindfulness and use them to help autistic children articulate their emotions more clearly.