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Theory of mind

Flutterby

I'm told that autists do not have a 'theory of mind' and this is a reason why we get lost in conversations. But what *is* a 'theory of mind' exactly? Would it be possible to develop or learn one?

 

Parents

  • Sounds a lot like me in terms of the conversation. I struggle really hard to keep up with other kids my age when they talk because by the time I want to say something next thing I know the converstations' moved from animals to hair products, which makes me stop to try and figure out a) WHEN that happened b) how on earth it happened and c) what can I say now? Of course by the time I hit c) the convo's gone off in a completely different direction again, making me repeat the whole process.

    In this way I think that maybe its not so much theory of mind, but the actual thought process. 'Normal' people don't seem to really give much thought to conversations, just adding bits of random information as and when they can (which to me makes them sound like birds twittering away) but for me, when I want to say something I want it to have relevance and meaning (because otherwise, where's the point in saying anything?) meaning I get left behind literally and figuratively. i.e. they leave and I just sit in my chair doing a good impression of a goldfish while I'm still processing the changes in the conversation.

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  • Sounds a lot like me in terms of the conversation. I struggle really hard to keep up with other kids my age when they talk because by the time I want to say something next thing I know the converstations' moved from animals to hair products, which makes me stop to try and figure out a) WHEN that happened b) how on earth it happened and c) what can I say now? Of course by the time I hit c) the convo's gone off in a completely different direction again, making me repeat the whole process.

    In this way I think that maybe its not so much theory of mind, but the actual thought process. 'Normal' people don't seem to really give much thought to conversations, just adding bits of random information as and when they can (which to me makes them sound like birds twittering away) but for me, when I want to say something I want it to have relevance and meaning (because otherwise, where's the point in saying anything?) meaning I get left behind literally and figuratively. i.e. they leave and I just sit in my chair doing a good impression of a goldfish while I'm still processing the changes in the conversation.

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