Belief term development in children with autism, Asperger syndrome, specific language impairment, and normal development: Links to theory of mind development

Author(s): Durkin, K., Pratt, C.

Journal/Book: J Child Psychol Psychiat. 1998; 39: 40 West 20TH Street, New York, NY 10011-4211. Cambridge Univ Press. 755-763.

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between the development of theory of mind and the development of the belief terms think, know, and guess. Children with autism and Asperger syndrome, matched to children with specific language impairment and normal development, completed false belief, belief term comprehension, and belief term expression tasks. The autistic group's performance on the false belief, belief term comprehension, and belief term expression tasks was significantly poorer than that of the Asperger, language impaired, and normal groups. Across groups an association was found between false belief and belief term performance. Results support a growing body of literature demonstrating links between the development of theory of mind and communicative competence.

Note: Article Ziatas K, Univ Western Australia, Dept Psychol, Mounts Bay Rd, Crawley, Wa 6907, AUSTRALIA

Keyword(s): Asperger syndrome; autism; language disorder; communication; language; social cognition; MENTAL TERMS; VERBAL-ABILITY; STATES; ACQUISITION; PERFORMANCE; DISTINCTION; CERTAINTY; KNOWLEDGE

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