Theory of mind and language development in deaf children

Abstract

A term commonly used within the realm of Autism Spectrum Disorders, theory of mind (ToM) has recently been found to have connections with the deaf and hard of hearing community, and especially among school-aged children. Furthermore, researchers have discovered that the development of a deaf child's theory of mind has a direct correlation with their exposure to language at an early age, and often the language method of their primary caregivers. Deaf children born to deaf parents who have early access to American Sign Language have been found to perform better on theory of mind assessments due to their ability to communicate with family members about mental states and other more abstract concepts. This thesis explores how language development in children who are deaf affects the development of a theory of mind. In addition, the second part of this paper includes classroom activities and instructional ideas to assist teachers in the promotion of the development of theory of mind in deaf and hard of hearing children.