Recognition of identity and expression in faces by children with Down syndrome

The ability of three groups of children (with Down syndrome, age-matched with nonspecific developmental delay, and younger typically developing) to recognize identity and expression in adult faces was examined. In Experiment 1, the children with Down syndrome were equally proficient at recognizing unfamiliar faces when expression was varied but significantly poorer at recognizing expression overall, with a specific deficit in perceiving surprise and fear. In Experiment 2, using rotated faces, they were significantly worse at recognizing expression as well as at identifying known faces. These results, in conjunction with lack of any improvement with age, suggest that there is a specific deficit in processing facial expressions associated with Down syndrome, a finding consistent with the emerging picture of neurological disruption in this syndrome.