Individual differences in executive function and central coherence predict developmental changes in theory of mind in...

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology

Background:

• Autism spectrum condition (ASC) is characterized by atypicalities in cognitive domains.
• Key areas include theory of mind (ToM), executive function (EF), and central coherence (CC).
• Understanding the longitudinal interplay of these domains is crucial for developmental insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal relationships among ToM, EF, and CC in cognitively able children with ASC.
• To determine if early EF and CC skills predict later ToM development.
• To examine developmental links between EF and CC.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study design.
• Assessment of 37 cognitively able children with ASC at two time points, 3 years apart.
• Utilized tests targeting ToM (false-belief prediction), EF (planning, flexibility, inhibition), and CC (local processing).

Main Results:

• Early executive function (EF) and central coherence (CC) skills at Time 1 significantly predicted changes in theory of mind (ToM) performance at Time 2.
• These predictive relationships were independent of age, language, nonverbal intelligence, and initial ToM skills.
• No significant predictive relations were found in the opposite direction (ToM predicting EF/CC), nor were there developmental links between EF and CC.

Conclusions:

• Early domain-general cognitive skills, specifically EF and CC, play a critical role in shaping the developmental trajectory of ToM in children with autism.
• Findings challenge the view of ToM, EF, and CC as independent, co-occurring atypicalities, highlighting the foundational role of EF and CC.
• This suggests targeted early interventions focusing on EF and CC may positively impact ToM development in autism.