Uta Frith gave a very interesting and in-depth talk about Theory of Mind and how it relates to autism. She got me thinking of areas of theory of mind that I have never thought of before. She asked and answered several questions. Some of these questions were: “Why do we need Theory of Mind?, What consequences does theory of mind failure have?, and How does it explain social impairment in autism?” I think that these questions are very important to consider when working with a child or an adult with autism. I believe that all professionals must consider the lack of theory of mind when working with people with autism.
Social impairments seem to be directly linked to a lack of theory of mind. People with autism lack the ability to interpret mental states to themselves as well as others. This lack of understanding will have a serious impact on the ability to socialize with others, and understand the world in general. If you can’t understand how you feel, it would be impossible to understand how others may feel about anything, especially when it comes to understanding how your actions may affect someone else.
A lack of theory of mind is a critical aspect of the explanation of the social behavior of individuals with autism. What may appear to be a lack of empathy may in fact be a lack of understanding feeling altogether. As professionals we should make more of an effort to educate the public about theory of mind. I feel that if people had a better understanding of the way a person with autism’s brain works, the more room there will be for compassion and patience when working with individuals with autism. I feel that we all need a better understanding of theory of mind.
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