Graduate Program
Communication Disorders and Sciences
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Semester of Degree Completion
2009
Thesis Director
Tina Veale
Thesis Committee Member
Gail Richard
Thesis Committee Member
Jill Fahy
Thesis Committee Member
Beth Bergstrom
Abstract
Theory of mind is the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and other individuals, allowing us to predict the thoughts and feelings of others based on their behaviors. Research has established that individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) experience difficulty with advanced theory of mind tasks; however, theory of mind abilities have not been evaluated for individuals with nonverbal learning disability (NVLD). The following test battery was administered to four adolescents with AS, five adolescents with NVLD, and five adolescents with neurotypical development to examine their theory of mind abilities: the Pragmatic Judgment and lriferences subtests from the Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, the Strange Stories Test, and the Spatial Relations subtest from the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities. Results indicated that participants with AS and NVLD exhibited more difficulty on theory of mind tasks than neurotypical individuals. Individuals with AS and NVLD did not differ significantly in their presentation of theory of mind abilities. Furthermore, individuals with NVLD exhibited similar theory of mind impairments when compared to individuals with AS, suggesting_that individuals with NVLD may also benefit from intervention in this area.
Recommended Citation
Scaliatine, Caitlin, "Perspective-Taking In Adolescents With Asperger Syndrome And Nonverbal Learning Disorder" (2009). Masters Theses. 103.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/103
