Language for Theory of Mind® helps students understand that what happens in the minds of others plays a critical role in explaining their behavior. Theory of Mind (ToM) involves the recognition that people have sensations, desires, knowledge, thoughts, and beliefs that influence their behavior. Researchers have increasingly recognized the importance of language for the development of ToM.
Fundamental to the development of ToM is an appreciation of how others come to possess information. This program helps students master verbs of perception (i.e., see, hear, smell, taste, feel) in various contexts and understand what others can or cannot perceive. Teaching the syntax and semantics of these verbs of perception is an important foundational step in the development of ToM. This program also introduces verbs of intention/desire (e.g., want, need) and helps students understand that other people’s wants and needs plays a critical role in explaining their behavior.
Optimized Intervention Levels
- Beginning—uses pretrial instruction, cueing to the correct response, and knowledge of the correct response following a response through either reinforcement or corrective feedback.
- Intermediate—includes pretrial instruction and knowledge of the correct response.
- Advanced—presents a trial with no antecedent instruction but does provide knowledge of the correct response.
Product Features:
- Research shows that language intervention helps development of theory of mind
- Helps students understand that peoples’ behavior is influenced by how they receive and perceive information
- Teaches that people have sensations, desires, knowledge, thoughts, and beliefs that may change their behavior
- Increases appreciation of how others process information through their five senses
- Introduces verbs of intention & desire and how they impact behavior