Visual Perspective Taking Training Improves Theory of Mind in Autistic Children

Autistic children exhibit developmental differences in theory of mind (ToM), which is associated with social impairment. While numerous interventions have targeted other ToM precursor skills, few studies have explored the effect of visual perspective taking (VPT) training on ToM. The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of VPT training on ToM in autistic children. Sixty-six autistic children were initially recruited and randomly assigned to three groups. Forty-eight children (mean age = 5.75 years) completed the study and were included in the final analyses, comprising the VPT training group (n = 16), thought-bubble training group (n = 16), and control group (n = 16). Each training comprised 12 sessions of 30 min. Both the VPT and thought-bubble training groups demonstrated significant improvements in VPT and ToM compared to the control group. The present study is the first to directly examine the effectiveness of VPT training using table blocks in enhancing ToM performance in autistic children, thereby providing a novel approach for ToM development.