Authors
Susan Fletcher-Watson, Helen McConachie
Publication date
2014/5
Conference
International Meeting for Autism Research
Description
Background
The’Theory of Mind’model suggests that most people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a profound difficulty understanding the minds of other people-their emotions, feelings, beliefs and thoughts. As an explanation for some of the characteristic behaviours of people with autism spectrum disorder (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.
Methods
We searched 8 international databases including MEDLINE and PsycINFO, as well as performing hand searches of relevant journals, conference proceedings and making contact with authors in the field. Studies were selected on the basis that they reported on an intervention linked to ToM in one of four clearly-defined ways: designed to test the ToM model; designed to teach ToM; designed to teach precursor skills of ToM (eg emotion recognition, joint attention); based on or inspired by ToM models of autism. The replicability of these definitions was tested in a pilot by 3 naïve raters. In addition, included studies presented new randomised controlled trial data from participants with a confirmed ASD diagnosis. Studies were selected and data extracted by two researchers independently and a third expert arbitrated.
Results
Twenty-two randomized controlled trials were included in the review (n= 695). Studies were highly variable in their country of origin, sample size, participant age, intervention delivery type, and outcome measures …
Scholar articles
S Fletcher-Watson, H McConachie - International Meeting for Autism Research, 2014