Theory of Mind Performances of Turkish Children with Different Developmental Characteristics.

Abstract

Language skills, essential for social interaction, also play a crucial role in the development of theory of mind (ToM). Comparing ToM performances among children with differing language profiles offers valuable insight into the impact of language on ToM. This study aimed to examine how language, a key predictor of ToM, affects the emotional (emotion recognition and understanding) and cognitive (desires and beliefs) ToM performances of children with varying developmental characteristics. A total of 66 children participated: 23 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 20 with developmental language disorder (DLD), and 23 typically developing (TD) peers. Children with ASD were matched with TD peers based on receptive language age, while DLD and TD groups were similar in chronological age (5-6 years). All participants demonstrated average or above-average non-verbal intelligence. A comprehensive ToM assessment developed and standardized for Turkish children was used to evaluate both emotional and cognitive ToM skills. Both ASD and DLD groups showed significantly lower emotional and cognitive ToM performance compared to TD children. Although children with ASD tended to perform more poorly, there were no statistically significant differences between the ASD and DLD groups in any ToM domain. Children with ASD and DLD exhibit marked difficulties in theory of mind relative to their typically developing peers, regardless of their non-verbal cognitive abilities and language performance. The similarity in ToM performance between ASD and DLD groups suggests that factors beyond language may contribute to ToM development, highlighting the influence of broader developmental variables.