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Theory of Mind and Executive Function in Preschoolers with Typical Development Versus Intellectually Able Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties in theory of mind (ToM) and executive function (EF), which may be linked because one domain (EF) affects the other (ToM). Group differences (ASD vs. typical development) were examined in both cognitive domains, as well as EF’s associations and regressions with ToM. Participants included 29 intellectually able preschoolers with ASD and 30 typical preschoolers, aged 3–6 years. EF tasks included planning and cognitive shifting measures. ToM tasks included predicting and explaining affective and location false-belief tasks. The novelty of this study lies in its in-depth examination of ToM explanation abilities in ASD alongside the role of verbal abilities (VIQ). Significant group differences emerged on most EF and ToM measures, in favor of typically developing children. Overall in the study group, EF-planning skills, EF-cognitive shifting and VIQ significantly contributed to the explained variance of ToM measures. Implications are discussed regarding the social-cognitive deficit in ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF). Special thanks are extended to the children who took part in this study. The authors would also like to express their appreciation to Dee B. Ankonina for her editorial contribution and to Dov Har-Even for his statistical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel

    Yael Kimhi, Dana Shoam-Kugelmas, Galit Agam Ben-Artzi, Inbal Ben-Moshe & Nirit Bauminger-Zviely

  2. Levinsky College of Education, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Yael Kimhi

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  1. Yael Kimhi
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  2. Dana Shoam-Kugelmas
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Correspondence to Nirit Bauminger-Zviely.

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Kimhi, Y., Shoam-Kugelmas, D., Agam Ben-Artzi, G. et al. Theory of Mind and Executive Function in Preschoolers with Typical Development Versus Intellectually Able Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 2341–2354 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2104-z

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