Theory of Mind in deaf children in the context of inclusive education

Abstract

Making decisions about particular school settings for deaf children or adolescents is of great importance due to the varied results of research that assess the social outcomes of mainstream schools versus residential schools. However, there are consequences to either decision that have long-term effects on the child’s personal and career goals as well as academic achievements. The consequences might be related to Theory of Mind development, the important human ability of understanding the mental life of other people, which implies understanding and predicting their behaviours. The paper presents a developmental pathway for Theory of Mind in deaf children in the context of education.