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 .
Prevalence of pervasive developmental disorders in the British nationwide survey of child mental health
The prevalence of pervasive developmental disorders ( PDD ) is not well established and needs monitoring . We investigated the prevalence of PDDs in the 1999 nationwide British survey of child and adolescent mental health . A r and omized stratified sample of children ( n = 12,529 ) aged 5 - 15 was generated from Child Benefit Records . Trained interviewers interviewed parents and youths aged 11 or older with a st and ardized diagnostic interview ( Development and Well-Being Assessment ) and question naire data ( Strengths and Difficulties Question naire ) were obtained from teachers and parents who also completed self-report measures of psychological distress . A team of experienced clinicians using all data sources achieved final diagnostic determination . A total of 10,438 ( 83 % ) interviews were conducted . There were two girls with Rett syndrome ( weighted prevalence : 3.8/10,000 girls ) and 27 children with other PDDs ( weighted prevalence : 26.1/10,000 ) . Compared to children with a psychiatric disorder other than PDD , social but not behavioural problems were more frequent in the PDD group . Parents of children with PDDs had higher rates of psychological distress than those from the two comparison groups . Consistent with other recent surveys , PDD rates are higher than those reported 30 years ago . The burden associated with PDDs is very high
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 .