Non-biological explanation of autism Flashcards
The ToM theory suggests that autism is caused by
A cognitive deficit the impaired Theory of Mind
What is a theory of mind?
The ability to understand the perspective of others, the ability to decentre
What issues would an impaired theory of mind lead to in children?
Difficulty in reading others emotions and social interactions and issues with pretend play amongst others
When does Theory of Mind usually develop in children?
Around 2 years of age
A systemiser is?
Someone who looks for rules, patterns and structure
What does Systemising have to do with ToM?
Since they cannot read others they use systemising skills to make sense of the world around them
Does ToM explain why there is a greater ratio of males with autism to females
False- it doesn’t comment on gender ratios
The fact children with autism are low in ‘empathising ability’/lack ToM can explain
Why they have difficulty reading others/social interactions
What trait of autism can TOM not explain?
The male to female ratio
Why is EMB an issue for this theory?
It suggests that hormones are the cause for autism in the womb and the cognitve deficits are a result of that not the cause
Does ToM have issues with cause and effect?
Yes- the research is correlational so we don’t know if deficit of ToM causes autism or is a result of having autism
Is ToM empirical?
No- you cannot measure thoughts/Theory of Mind directly
What does the Sally-Anne test show?
Autistic children have difficulty with ToM tasks identifying what sally knows whereas ‘normal’ children and those with down syndrome don’t
What does the eyes task by Baron-Cohen show?
Adults with autism have difficulty with ToM tasks whereas neurotypical adults and those with Tourettes don’t
What did Schick (2007) show?
Deaf children with hearing parents also fail ToM tests suggesting it is more about language deficits rather than autism
