What Does Research Say About Social Perspective-Taking Interventions for Students With HFASD?

The term theory of mind (ToM) was introduced by Premack and Woodruff as the ability to infer mental states of others. Many researchers believe that social deficits seen in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are directly linked to deficits in ToM or the inability to realize that others’ perspectives are different from their own, decreasing social understanding. The present review examines the empirical research of effectiveness of interventions targeting social perspective-taking skills for high-functioning individuals with ASD. Twelve studies have been published since the year 2000. Results indicate that perspective-taking skills can be taught using systematic instruction, group interventions, and technology. Generalization of skills into naturalistic settings was inconsistent. Practice implications and future research directions are discussed.