EXTENDING THE USE OF THOUGHT-BUBBLE TRAINING TO PROMOTE THEORY OF MIND AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING IN AUTISTIC PRESCHOOLERS

Abstract

Research suggests impairments in theory of mind and executive functions can explain the social and behavioral differences of autistic people. As these domains undergo a period of rapid change and development during the pre-school period (child age 3-5 years), this may be an especially important time for implementing interventions aiming to enhance the social and cognitive development of autistic individuals. A number of researchers have aimed to promote the social and cognitive development for this population utilizing narrative-based interventions. Narrative interventions conducted with both typical and autistic populations have shown some promise in promoting theory of mind (ToM) skills, that is- a social-cognitive ability incorporating the understanding that self and others are mental agents with thoughts, beliefs, intentions, and desires that guide actions and interactions. While the evidence is promising, further investigation of the use of narrative to promote ToM in autistic populations is needed as previous studies included small sample sizes and were limited in ToM outcomes measured. Furthermore, there is an empirical gap in the literature regarding whether narrative interventions could also promote EF. This research proposal investigates whether a previously studied narrative intervention that utilizes thought-bubbles to explicitly express mental states of others can promote the ToM and EF skills of autistic preschoolers. Researchers hypothesize that children in the thought-bubble narrative intervention group will perform better on ToM and EF tasks from pre-test to post-test in comparison to children placed in a control group. Due to the nature of COVID-19, researchers were unable to implement the intervention and collect results. The hypothetical findings of both null and supporting hypotheses are discussed.

Key terms: Autism spectrum disorder, Theory of mind, Executive function, Narrative, Intervention