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 .
A play and joint attention intervention for teachers of young children with autism: A randomized controlled pilot study
The aim of this study was to pilot test a classroom-based intervention focused on facilitating play and joint attention for young children with autism in self-contained special education classrooms . Thirty-three children with autism between the ages of 3 and 6 years participated in the study with their classroom teachers ( n = 14 ) . The 14 preschool special education teachers were r and omly assigned to one of three groups : ( 1 ) symbolic play then joint attention intervention , ( 2 ) joint attention then symbolic intervention , and ( 3 ) wait-list control period then further r and omized to either group 1 or group 2 . In the intervention , teachers participated in eight weekly individualized 1-h sessions with a research er that emphasized embedding strategies targeting symbolic play and joint attention into their everyday classroom routines and activities . The main child outcome variables of interest were collected through direct classroom observations . Findings indicate that teachers can implement an intervention to significantly improve joint engagement of young children with autism in their classrooms . Furthermore , multilevel analyses showed significant increases in joint attention and symbolic play skills . Thus , these pilot data emphasize the need for further research and implementation of classroom-based interventions targeting play and joint attention skills for young children with autism
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 .