Story narratives and theory of mind: an intervention for children with high functioning autism

Abstract

This study aimed at reducing ToM deficits through mental state attributes, using story narratives that deploy long-term potentiation through a cognitive intervention among children with high functioning autism. Adopting non-concurrent multiple-baseline experimental design spanning across 25 session days, the hypotheses were: 1) Use of story narratives will reduce ToM deficits and will increase mental state attribution. 2) Use of story narratives will increase creativity and reduce functional fixedness. Post-intervention, both participants displayed an increase in verbalization and a reduced functional fixedness with resultant increase in creativity. However, only one of the participants was able to complete the Sally Ann Task indicating emergent ability to attribute false beliefs to others. Story narratives hold promise as an effective tool in ToM training.