I found the videos on You Tube to be very informative. Difficulties understanding theory of mind seems to affect most if not all people with autism, but I find that it is not discussed very often among the professionals I work with.
Understanding how theory of mind may affect the students we work with is a very important part of understanding the world they live in. The theory of mind tests that were discussed in the You Tube videos as well the paper by Simon Baron-Cohen would be helpful to conduct with all of the students we work with. I believe that knowing how much each student understands theory of mind would help when we are developing programs to help each child reach their full potential.
Just recently I was discussing one of my student’s behaviors with his mother. His behavior is that he whines, and according to the FBA I conducted he whines to let others know that he is upset or frustrated about something. While discussing this with her she said that she didn’t think that was the reason because she has heard him whine from the living room while she is upstairs. I responded by telling her that he may assume that she can hear him.
Although I have heard of theory of mind, I have not had the opportunity to study it yet. If I had been more knowledgeable about the idea of theory of mind, I may have been able to explain his behavior more thoroughly. I believe that understanding this child’s ability to see things through other people’s eyes may help significantly.
I also found the idea that children with autism can’t lie very interesting. I have met children on the spectrum that can lie, so I don’t believe this applies to everyone. However if you were to measure their theory of mind ability, I think you may be able to identify whether that child has the theory of mind to make things up. I find the concept of theory of mind very interesting and look forward to reading more articles regarding the topic.
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