Megan Critchlow - Psychology
Introduction
Based on epidemiological surveys there are approximately 700,000 (Baird, G et al, 2006,
cited by The National Autistic society, 2013) people in the world with autism. 1 in 88
children are affected by autism (Autism speaks, 2013). There is no medical formula for
detecting Autism and it is an incurable mental condition.
Autism appears to be continuously on the increase within the population (Autism speaks,
2013). This could be due to improved diagnostic techniques and an increased awareness of
the symptoms, allowing people with autism to receive beneficial help. However due to the
increase of diagnosed autistic individuals, to know about the difficulties autistic children face
and how we are able to minimise these struggles is becoming increasingly important.
For the purpose of my analysis I shall define a Theory of Mind as the ability to predict others
behaviours, goals and desires, whilst understanding indirect figures of speech and gestures.
Additionally I shall define mindblindness as the absence of a Theory of Mind.
This analysis investigates the mindblindness theory, the proposition that an autistic child will
have a delay in developing a Theory of Mind. I will explore the innate skills in forming the
basis of a Theory of Mind, and what can be done to improve these skills in autistic children. I
will do this by exploring how effective training methods can be on improving an autistic
child’s Theory of Mind, and how this translates into real life situations. Therefore my
research question is “To what extent can our understanding of a Theory of Mind help its
development in autistic children through training?” The potential applications of my essay
are to help autistic children integrate more easily with others in society, and long-term
benefits would include the ability to acquire a larger range of jobs.
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