Theory of Mind Revisited

Uta Frith gave an interesting and informative presentation on Theory of Mind.  In the beginning of her presentation she listed six questions that were answered throughout her presentation that I found interesting, and a few of them are listed below:

          Why do we need theory of mind?
We need Theory of Mind to teach others; tease others; trade with others; deceive others; communicate ostensively;  show complex emotions; manipulating beliefs; reading other minds; reading own mind; being self-conscious; showing unique emotions.

What consequences does ToM failure have?

Theory of mind failure may indicate that a child is at risk for autism (failure to show joint attention, proto-declarative pointing, pretend play).

How does it explain social Impairment in autism?

With regards to individuals with autism, “explicit mentalizing” can be taught, but “intuitive mentalizing” cannot.  This means that you can teach someone to come to a conclusion regarding the feelings of others but the automaticity of reaching said conclusions cannot. 

Is it sufficient to explain social impairment in autism?

While it helps to explain a lot of the social issues in individuals with autism, I don’t think this accounts for all of the social skill deficits in individuals with autism.

Is it unique and/or universal to autism spectrum?

The way she was speaking in the video makes me think that there is a lack of Theory of Mind in other individuals, so I do not think it is unique to autism spectrum disorders. 

In conclusion, Theory of mind is demonstrated in the ability to

·         Recognize mental states in others

      ·         Communicate them to others

·         Manipulate them in others

·         Reflect on own mental states

I strongly feel that Theory of Mind is important to consider when conducting an assessment on an individual with ASD.  You need to be aware of all of the individuals strengths and weaknesses in order to build skills that are adaptive to help with their future.