Exploring Inferencing, Theory of Mind, and Affect Recognition as Predictors of Language Development and Reading Achievement in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Mentor Information
Dr. Matthew Foster
Description
This study investigates the influence of inferencing, theory of mind, and affect recognition on language development and reading achievement in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Given the challenges children with ASDs face in developing key educational competencies, our research seeks to understand the extent to which these cognitive and linguistic skills contribute to narrative language outcomes. We engaged 25 participants (average age 108 months, 73.1% male, primarily Caucasian at 60%, with the remainder being African American (16%), Hispanic (4%), and Asian (20%)), all of whom speak English at home and the majority of whom (64%) attend public schools. The assessment involved presenting children with images and storybook passages to measure inferencing skills, along with tasks designed to gauge their understanding of mental states, intentions, and emotions, thereby testing their theory of mind and affect recognition abilities. Narrative language proficiency was evaluated through story retell and inferential vocabulary exercises. The findings reveal that inferencing (B = 0.547, p< .05), theory of mind (B = 0.744, p < .01), and affect recognition (B = 0.517, p < .05) significantly predict narrative language measures. These results highlight the critical role these skills play in the narrative language development of children with ASDs. The study underscores the necessity of devising specific interventions aimed at enhancing inferencing, theory of mind, and affect recognition to improve educational outcomes in this demographic.
Exploring Inferencing, Theory of Mind, and Affect Recognition as Predictors of Language Development and Reading Achievement in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
This study investigates the influence of inferencing, theory of mind, and affect recognition on language development and reading achievement in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Given the challenges children with ASDs face in developing key educational competencies, our research seeks to understand the extent to which these cognitive and linguistic skills contribute to narrative language outcomes. We engaged 25 participants (average age 108 months, 73.1% male, primarily Caucasian at 60%, with the remainder being African American (16%), Hispanic (4%), and Asian (20%)), all of whom speak English at home and the majority of whom (64%) attend public schools. The assessment involved presenting children with images and storybook passages to measure inferencing skills, along with tasks designed to gauge their understanding of mental states, intentions, and emotions, thereby testing their theory of mind and affect recognition abilities. Narrative language proficiency was evaluated through story retell and inferential vocabulary exercises. The findings reveal that inferencing (B = 0.547, p< .05), theory of mind (B = 0.744, p < .01), and affect recognition (B = 0.517, p < .05) significantly predict narrative language measures. These results highlight the critical role these skills play in the narrative language development of children with ASDs. The study underscores the necessity of devising specific interventions aimed at enhancing inferencing, theory of mind, and affect recognition to improve educational outcomes in this demographic.
