Environmental Language Factors in Theory of Mind Development: Evidence From Children Who Are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing or Who Have Specific Language Impairment

Abstract

Theory of Mind (ToM) is a foundational skill related to understanding the thoughts, beliefs, and desires of oneself and others. There are child factors that play an important role in the development of ToM (e.g., language and vocabulary) as well as environmental factors (e.g., conversations among family members and socioeconomic status). In this review, we discuss the role of language in ToM and include the nature of social interactions that scaffold ToM development. We review research on deaf and hard-of-hearing children and children with specific language impairment; 2 groups who experience difficulties with language for different reasons, but both encounter deficits in ToM development. Finally, we conclude with examples of how clinicians can easily assess a child's ToM abilities and offer empirical evidence that aspects of ToM can be scaffolded with explicit instruction.