While there is some evidence that ToM , or a precursor skill , can be taught to people with ASD , there is little evidence of maintenance of that skill , generalisation to other setting s , or developmental effects on related skills .
It is possible that the continuing refinement of the ToM model will lead to better interventions which have a greater impact on development than those investigated to date
BACKGROUND The ' Theory of Mind ' ( ToM ) model suggests that people with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) have a profound difficulty underst and ing the minds of other people - their emotions , feelings , beliefs , and thoughts .
As an explanation for some of the characteristic social and communication behaviours of people with ASD , this model has had a significant influence on research and practice .
It implies that successful interventions to teach ToM could , in turn , have far-reaching effects on behaviours and outcome .
OBJECTIVES To review the efficacy of interventions based on the ToM model for individuals with ASD .
Social skills improvement in children with high-functioning autism: a pilot randomized controlled trial
High-functioning autism ( HFA ) is characterized by persistent impairment in social interaction despite the absence of mental retardation . Although an increasing number of group-based programs for the improvement of social skills have been described , r and omized controlled trials are needed to evaluate their efficacy . To compare the effect of a Social Skills Training Group-based Program ( SST-GP ) and a Leisure Activities Group-based Program ( LA-GP ) on the perception of facial emotions and quality of life ( QoL ) in young people with HFA . Eligible patients were children and adolescents with HFA . Participants were r and omized to the SST or LA group . The primary outcome was defined as an improvement of 2 points in error rates for facial emotion labeling ( DANVA2 ) from baseline . After the 6-month training period , the SST Group made fewer errors in labeling anger on adult faces , whereas error rates in the LA Group remained stable . Progress in the ability to recognize anger in the SST Group was due to better recognition of low intensity stimuli on adult faces . QoL increased in the SST Group in the dimension of school environment , as a marker of the transfer of skills acquired in the treatment setting to their use in the community . The SST-GP had higher efficacy than the LA-GP . Data justify replication using larger sample
While there is some evidence that ToM , or a precursor skill , can be taught to people with ASD , there is little evidence of maintenance of that skill , generalisation to other setting s , or developmental effects on related skills .
It is possible that the continuing refinement of the ToM model will lead to better interventions which have a greater impact on development than those investigated to date
BACKGROUND The ' Theory of Mind ' ( ToM ) model suggests that people with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) have a profound difficulty underst and ing the minds of other people - their emotions , feelings , beliefs , and thoughts .
As an explanation for some of the characteristic social and communication behaviours of people with ASD , this model has had a significant influence on research and practice .
It implies that successful interventions to teach ToM could , in turn , have far-reaching effects on behaviours and outcome .
OBJECTIVES To review the efficacy of interventions based on the ToM model for individuals with ASD .