This paper introduces the extended description of a database that contains emotional speech in the Russian language of younger school age (8–12-year-old) children and describes the results of validation of the database based on classical machine learning algorithms, such as Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). The validation is performed using standard procedures and scenarios of the validation similar to other well-known databases of children’s emotional acting speech. Performance evaluation of automatic multiclass recognition on four emotion classes “Neutral (Calm)—Joy—Sadness—Anger” shows the superiority of SVM performance and also MLP performance over the results of perceptual tests. Moreover, the results of automatic recognition on the test dataset which was used in the perceptual test are even better. These results prove that emotions in the database can be reliably recognized both by experts and automatically using classical machine learning algorithms such as SVM and MLP, which can be used as baselines for comparing emotion recognition systems based on more sophisticated modern machine learning methods and deep neural networks. The results also confirm that this database can be a valuable resource for researchers studying affective reactions in speech communication during child-computer interactions in the Russian language and can be used to develop various edutainment, health care, etc. applications.

The paper presents a description of the methodological approach for assessing the formation of the emotional sphere of children aged 5-16 years with typical and atypical development. The purpose of the Child's Emotional Development Method (CEDM) is to assess the emotional development of the children by determining the ability to express their own emotions, emotions adequacy, and recognition of the emotional states of others. The approach is based on adapted methods and scales, assessment criteria and methodological approaches tested in a number of studies, depending on the age of the children, their developmental characteristics, language and cultural characteristics of the country of residence of the child. The approach includes two blocks - information about the development of the child obtaining from parents / legal representatives; methods for children testing, including interview methods, psychological tests, play situations. The assessment uses a score on the Likert scale. A pilot approbation of the methodological approach was carried out on 30 children aged 8-16 years - typically developing (TD), with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Down syndrome (DS). The results of the study formed the basis for the creation of the Scale of Emotional Sphere Development of Children and Adolescents.