ERIC Number: EJ1469389
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1088-3576
EISSN: EISSN-1538-4829
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Using Multiple Exemplar Training to Teach Basic Theory-of-Mind Skills to Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Fuxin Lian1; Gabrielle T. Lee2; Yan Long1,3; Weina Ma1; Mian Wang4
Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, v40 n2 p69-79 2025
Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to have difficulty dealing with complex social situations, which is likely related to their challenges in understanding others' perspectives, according to the Theory of Mind (ToM). The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the effect of multiple exemplar training (MET) on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of basic theory-of-mind skills in three Chinese adolescents with ASD by employing a single-case, multiple-probe design. Results suggest that MET was effective in the acquisition and maintenance phases of training for improving all three participants' target ToM skills and their ToM assessment scores. The participants also demonstrated increased appropriate social interactions and decreased inappropriate social interactions with peers during indoor recess, indicating that MET is effective in helping adolescents with ASD generalize ToM skills to natural settings.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Interpersonal Competence, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Theory of Mind, Training, Adolescents, Program Effectiveness, Interaction, Social Development, Foreign Countries
SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China; 2Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; 3Ningxia Preschool Education College, Yinchuan, China; 4University of California, Santa Barbara, USA