Theory of Mind Essay

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In my cognitive psychology class, we were assigned to write an essay relating a psychological theory to practical applications in daily living. I think I've decided on Theory of Mind. I was going to somehow relate educator's knowledge of TOM to the assistance and education they may be able to provide to individuals on the spectrum. I'm still not sure if this is the type of theory I want to go with, but I was wanting to somehow relate it to the spectrum, nonetheless. I suppose I could also discuss executive functioning or something of that nature. I have the next two weeks to write it, so I'm not really in any rush. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Why don't you tell us what you consider Theory of Mind to be and explain how it relates to you?

Theory of mind is a good topic, my mind theorizes.

Further, my mind theorizes that your mind can theorize that the theory of mind of autism professionals is not as good as their minds theorize when it comes to theorizing about what is going on inside the minds of autistic people.

^awesome

And, yes, I know autistic people know best about theories involving us, which is why I came here for advice.

Theory of mind is the capacity individuals posses to comprehend certain mental states, such as beliefs, feelings, desires and intentions. It's the way we conceive the thoughts and feelings of others. Whatever may go on within the minds of individuals is not outwardly visible to those around them, so it remains a "theory" of our creation. A lack of a TOM for me personally, means that I have difficulty in understanding intentions, anticipating reactions and filtering out the emotions of those around me. Also, I sometimes lack the ability to understand how certain things I may say will effect those around me, leading me to say things that may be deemed inappropriate by others. I know that not every individual on the spectrum has difficulty with TOM, and that the so called "professionals" aren't necessarily the ones to turn to for information, which is why I was asking for suggestions.