Theory of mind in children with autism spectrum disorder: do siblings matter? 2013

Nicole L Matthews, and Wendy A Goldberg, and Angela F Lukowski
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California.

Research indicates a positive relation between the sibling constellation and theory of mind (ToM) development in typically developing (TD) children. Less is known about this association in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study examined the association among the presence and number of siblings, birth order, and false belief (FB) understanding in children with ASD and a TD comparison group. Two FB tasks (change of contents and change of location) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test were administered to 57 children with ASD and 28 TD children during a home visit. One parent of each child reported on demographics and the sibling constellation. Separate hierarchical regressions controlled for age, receptive language ability, and scores on the Social Communication Questionnaire. In children with ASD, no association was observed between presence or number of siblings and ToM. However, the presence of older (but not younger) siblings was found to be positively associated with ToM. Children with ASD who had at least one older sibling performed similarly to the TD group, whereas children with ASD who had no older siblings performed significantly worse than the TD group. These findings indicate an advantage for FB performance in children with ASD who have an older sibling. They may bear on decisions to include older siblings or peers in intervention programs and may also contribute to a more complete understanding of the origins of individual differences in ToM ability in children with ASD.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007805 Language Development Disorders Conditions characterized by language abilities (comprehension and expression of speech and writing) that are below the expected level for a given age, generally in the absence of an intellectual impairment. These conditions may be associated with DEAFNESS; BRAIN DISEASES; MENTAL DISORDERS; or environmental factors. Language Delay,Speech Delay,Auditory Processing Disorder, Central,Central Auditory Processing Disorder,Developmental Disorder, Speech or Language,Developmental Language Disorders,Language Disorders, Developmental,Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder,Speech or Language, Developmental Disorder,Delay, Speech,Delays, Speech,Development Disorder, Language,Developmental Language Disorder,Disorder, Language Development,Disorders, Language Development,Language Delays,Language Development Disorder,Language Disorder, Developmental,Semantic Pragmatic Disorder,Semantic-Pragmatic Disorders,Speech Delays
D008192 Deception The act of deceiving or the fact of being deceived. False Allegations,Lying,Hoax,Allegation, False,Allegations, False,False Allegation
D008297 Male Males
D001722 Birth Order The sequence in which children are born into the family. First Birth,Birth Orders,Birth, First,Births, First,First Births
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002659 Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Severe distortions in the development of many basic psychological functions that are not normal for any stage in development. These distortions are manifested in sustained social impairment, speech abnormalities, and peculiar motor movements. Pervasive Child Development Disorders,Pervasive Development Disorders
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003142 Communication The exchange or transmission of ideas, attitudes, or beliefs between individuals or groups. Miscommunication,Misinformation,Social Communication,Communication Programs,Communications Personnel,Personal Communication,Communication Program,Communication, Personal,Communication, Social,Communications, Social,Miscommunications,Misinformations,Personnel, Communications,Program, Communication,Programs, Communication,Social Communications
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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