Graduation Date
Fall 2025
Document Type
Project
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research
Committee Chair Name
Christopher Walmsley
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Amanda Moitoso
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Keywords
Theory of Mind, Autism, Teaching
Subject Categories
Psychology
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to attribute mental states – thoughts, beliefs, and emotions – to oneself and others, and is critical for social understanding and interaction. Research has demonstrated that ToM development is linked to social competence, peer relationships, and emotional development in children, with notable differences observed between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and neurotypical peers. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Teaching Theory of Mind Curriculum (Ordetx, 2012) curriculum in improving ToM capabilities and social functioning in children with ASD and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants, aged 7-17, underwent a 6-12 week one-on-one curriculum designed to enhance joint attention, emotion recognition, social cue interpretation, and perspective-taking. Pretest and posttest assessment was conducted using the Theory of Mind Inventory (ToMI) and the Theory of Mind Task Battery (ToMB). Data was analyzed using paired t-tests to evaluate changes in ToM understanding and social behavior. This research seeks to provide further evidence for the role of ToM interventions in supporting social development and peer interactions, contributing to more effective therapeutic practices for neurodivergent children.
Across both the ToMB and the ToMI, all three participants demonstrated meaningful improvements in ToM performance following the intervention. On the ToMB, each participant showed increased correct responding and reduced errors from pretest to posttest. Similarly, paired sample t-test analyses of the ToMI revealed statistically significant increases in composite and subscale scores across participants, with the greatest improvements in advanced ToM and pragmatics. Taken together, these findings indicate that the intervention was effective in enhancing ToM abilities across multiple domains, as evidenced by both direct performance measures and caregiver report. Improvements in advanced ToM and pragmatic skills suggest growth in social cognitive functioning, supporting the potential of this intervention to strengthen social understanding and communication in meaningful ways.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Hart, Kayla Marie, "Examining the effects of a teaching Theory of Mind curriculum for children with autism spectrum disorder" (2025). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2537.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2537