Theory of mind and executive functions in sighted children of blind parents

Previous research indicates that during infancy, children of blind parents demonstrate greater communicative flexibility compared to peers raised by sighted parents. The present study aimed to examine whether such experience may influence executive functions and theory of mind at later stages of development.

Children raised by sighted parents as well as children whose parent(s) have a visual impairment participated in the study. They completed tasks related to belief attribution (custom computer task, Theory of Mind Task Battery) as well as a task measuring executive functions (HEI-shift task).

The results were consistent with developmental predictions: in both groups, children performed better on the tasks as they got older. However, no difference between the two groups (children of sighted parents vs parents with visual impairments) was found. Models that included only the participants' age explained the results better than those that included the group factor.

The results suggest that children raised by parents with visual impairments develop the examined skills in a manner typical for their age and comparable to peers raised by sighted parents. Due to the sample size, and heterogeneity of the group, further research is required. Since the study did not indicate significant differences in the developmental trajectory of ToM, parents and caregivers can support the development of ToM in ways already demonstrated effective in other research. For instance, engaging in conversations that include mental state talk can foster the growth of ToM in children.