Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder - 1675 Words

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience different aspects of theory of mind (ToM) and in a different order when compared with typically developing children (Kimhi, 2014). ToM influences social functioning and understanding of others (Peterson et al., 2016) Studies have shown that individuals with ASD perform lower on ToM tasks than typically developing individuals (Kimhi, 2014). Children with ASD may have a disadvantage because research has shown that ToM is influenced by other factors such as age, IQ, and language abilities (Kimhi, 2014; Peterson et al., 2016). Children with ASD are developmentally behind in age-appropriate milestones, IQ can be low, and language abilities are limited. ToM is stunted due to the affected†¦show more content†¦Literature Review Autism DSM definition Dx (DSM-5, †¦.) (Leekam, 2016) The symptoms and core views of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have changed throughout time from affective bases to repetitive behaviors as a distinct symptom (Leekam, 2006). The Diagnostic S Manual 5 (DSM-5) defines ASD as†¦ Theory of mind has become a topic of interest and a possible factor that influences social deficits individuals with autism may face (Leekam, 2016). Theory of Mind Definition Theory of mind is the ability to infer mental and emotional states of others and behave accordingly and predict the others’ behavior or thoughts ( ). ToM was historically described as a single cognitive process but new research has shown that ToM is included in several brain regions and the ToM concepts exceed the original definition (Westby Robinson, 2014). Now, ToM has been found to be involved in thinking of emotions, thoughts, and intentions as well as, dissociable ToM which is thinking of others’ thoughts, emotions, and intentions (Westby Robinson, 2014). In addition, ToM can be thought of as affective-cognitive which is also known as cognitive empathy were a person can recognize and respond to their own feelings and others. Another component that research has revealed is affective empathy, which is when a