Executive Functions and Theory of Mind
Elena Presutti, Giovanni Cicinelli, Daniela Castellaneta
This paper examines the development of executive functions (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) in the pediatric population diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These two aspects are correlated in both typical and atypical (autistic) development. To investigate whether changes in EF abilities are associated with changes in ToM abilities in the autistic population, a preliminary experimental study was conducted with a small group of autistic children. The sample consisted of six children diagnosed with autism, attending their first year of primary school with a support level of 1. The children were divided into an experimental group and a control group, which differed in whether they received training in EF or not. To enhance the executive skills of the children in the experimental group, the cognitive training programme «Developing Concentration and Self-Regulation» was implemented, following the guidelines provided in the «Handbook of Executive Function». The scores obtained from tests administered at time 0 (pre-treatment assessment – T0) and time 1 (post-treatment assessment – T1) were analysed and compared using T-TESTs, both within groups and between the two groups. The results show statistically significant improvements in cold EF skills, specifically in inhibition and planning, as well as in a subtest of ToM. These preliminary findings tend to confirm the initial hypothesis that changes in EF abilities in autistic children are associated with changes in ToM abilities.
Keywords
Autism, Theory of Mind, Executive Function Training.
