‘Theory of mind’ in explaining verbal and cognitive dysfunctions in autistic children and its experimental test
Abstract
This article considers the main principles of ‘theory of mind’ as a cognitive theory explaining verbal and cognitive dysfunctions in children with autism spectrum disorder. The article presents some results of testing this theory through a psycholinguistic experiment that involved 16 students from special schools. It is concluded that, in the case of autistic children, it is more correct to speak of a deficiency, rather than a complete absence of a ‘theory of mind’.
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