CHIP L7_ToM in Autims & ToM, Language & Social development_Bb_SLIDES
Page 1: Introduction to Theory of Mind (ToM) in Autism
Lecture Topic: Theory of Mind (ToM) in autism spectrum condition (ASC)
Author: Dr Catherine O’Hanlon
Contact: cao15@aber.ac.uk
Page 2: Learning Objectives - ToM in Autism
Introduction to Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC)
Key Studies:
Baron-Cohen, Leslie & Frith (1985, 1986)
Leekam & Perner (1991)
Happè (1994, 1995)
Focus: Understanding social cognition in children with autism
Page 3: Learning Objectives - ToM, Language, & Social Development
Anticipatory looking in autism (Senju et al., 2010)
Language cases: deaf & blind individuals (Isobelle & Genie)
Contemporary applications: Interaction of ToM, language, and social development
Page 4: Interest in ToM within Autism
Study focus: ToM in Autism
Relevance of neurodiversity and broader developmental processes
Page 5: Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs)
Profile of ASCs:
Diagnostic Traits:
Socialization challenges
Communication difficulties
Behavioral traits (e.g., special interests)
Non-Diagnostic Traits:
Atypical perception
Unique cognitive abilities
ToM's influence on social difficulties
Page 6: Title Page
ToM in Autism Lecture Notes
University: Aberystwyth University
Page 7: Baron-Cohen et al. (1985) - Sally-Ann Task
Participants:
20 children with autism
20 with Down’s syndrome
20 typically developing 4-year-olds
Results:
Few ASD children passed
Most Down’s & typically developing children passed
Page 8: False Belief Task in ASD
Introduction to False Belief Task
Example participant: 7-year-old
Page 9: Considerations on Study Design
Significance of Baron-Cohen's results
Isolated ToM difficulties in autism group
Possible explanations for ASD children's performance
Variations in language abilities
The complexity of mental representation and ToM abilities
Page 10: Leekam & Perner (1991) - False Photograph Task
Methodology:
Replicated Zaitchik’s false photograph task
Participants: 3-4 year-olds and children with ASCs, matched on intelligence and chronological ages
Considerations for control conditions
Page 11: Leekam & Perner - Results
Belief and Photo comprehension result comparisons:
50% correct for belief vs. 51% correct for photo
50% correct belief vs. 95% correct for photo
Page 12: Anticipatory Looking in Children with ASC
Overview of anticipatory looking research
Page 13: Senju et al. (2010) - Participant Profiles
Comparison of mean scores for children with ASD vs. typically developing (TD) children
Key measurements: Chronological Age (CA), Verbal Mental Age (VMA), Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ-J)
Page 14: Senju et al. - Familiarization Procedure
Outline of familiarization tasks
Page 15: Senju et al. - Test Turns Procedure
Overview of test procedure with false beliefs
Page 16: Senju et al. - Video Content
Familiarization video overview
Page 17: Senju et al. - False Belief Video Content
Introduction to FB2 with higher memory load
Page 18: Results & Conclusions of Senju et al.
Findings:
Typically developing children anticipated actions while those with ASC did not
Suggests impairment in false belief attribution independent of verbal ability
Page 19: Theory of Mind and Language
Relationship between ToM and language development
Page 20: Happè (1994, 1995) - Second Order False Belief Task
Example: Assessing where Mary thinks John thinks chocolate is
Typical developmental milestones for passing tasks listed
Page 21: Conclusions from Happè Studies
Insight into strategies used by children with autism to pass FB tasks
Dependence on verbal intelligence
Page 22: Stages in Language Acquisition
Overview of universal stages in language acquisition from 12 months to 5-6 years
Evidence supporting biological basis for language development
Page 23: Language Learning in Deaf Children
Critical Issues with deaf children’s language learning
Challenges without environmental input from spoken language
Page 24: Goldin-Meadow et al. (1978, 1984) - Findings
Procedure and results of language development in deaf children
Spontaneous production of gestures equivalent to hearing peers
Page 25: Goldin-Meadow Conclusions
Insights on language development: importance of environmental input beyond age 2
Page 26: Language Learning in Blind Children - Critical Issues
Investigating whether blind children can learn abstract words and verbs
Page 27: Language Learning in Blind Children - Findings
Agreement with Landau & Gleitman (1985) on stages of language acquisition
Example responses showing shared meanings of actions like "look"
Page 28: Representation for Look - Blind vs. Sighted
Demonstration of similarity in response to the term "look" between blind and sighted children
Page 29: Further Support for Biological Basis of Language
Landau & Gleitman findings reinforcing biological influences in language development
Page 30: Language Learning in Extreme Deprivation - Isobelle
Background on Isobelle’s lack of linguistic input and later development
Page 31: Language Learning in Extreme Deprivation - Genie
Overview of Genie’s results and development outcomes
Page 32: Language Learning Critical Periods
Summary of sensitive periods in language learning based on extreme cases
Page 33: Contemporary Applications of ToM Research Methods
Current relevance of ToM research in modern contexts
Page 34: Teaching ToM
Evidence supporting emotional discussions improving ToM understanding and false belief tasks
Page 35: Applications of ToM in Research
Examining various factors affecting false belief understanding and social competence across cultures
Page 36: Parenting Styles and ToM Development
Impact of parenting approaches on children’s FBU and social competence
Page 37: Peer Interaction and ToM
Connection between FBU development and peer relationships in adolescents
Page 38: Take Home Message
Relationship between ToM and Language as inseparable, reflecting nature and nurture contributions
Page 39: Conclusion Video
Overview of concluding video covering key points on ToM