Autism Demystified: Disclosing the Mysteries of Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

By Jason M. Hufft

Autism is currently a mysterious topic of discussion with very little information revealing its true identity and nature. Autism Demystified reveals autism and unfolds the delusion of this astonishingly unique birth boundary by providing a thorough explanation and examination of the behaviors, social character, and mind associated with the autistic individual. The revelation of the birth of autism is also revealed. Autism Demystified is a guidebook for anyone raising or caring for a child with autism, ADD, dyslexia, or related birth boundary. Readers will discover a comprehensive description of autism and ADD as well as a wealth of information including coping strategies for managing children with these challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ambassador International
• Release date: Nov 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781620203804

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedications

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One: Autism: A Further Exploration

Chapter 1: The Autistic Mind

Chapter 2: Theory of Mind Development

Chapter 3: Cases of Autism

Chapter 4: Sociability of the Autistic Individual

Chapter 5: The Social Character of Autism

Chapter 6: Autism: A Disorder or Condition?

Chapter 7: Forging a Relationship with an Autistic Child

Part Two: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD): A Further Exploration

Chapter 8: Understanding Attention Control

Chapter 9: Sub-Case A: Inattentive/Absentminded

Chapter 10: Sub-Case B: Excessively Active / Sub-Case C: Exceedingly Sensitive

Chapter 11: Sub-Case D: Exceptionally Rebellious / Sub-Case E: Excessively Emotional

Chapter 12: Sub-Case F: Attention Deficit Integration / Sub-Case G: Unmanageable Concurrence

Chapter 13: A Summative Illustration

Chapter 14: Medication and Attention Deficit Disorder

Chapter 15: Attention Deficit Disorder and Working Memory

Chapter 16: The Challenged Reader

Part Three: Behavioral Observation of Autistic and Attention Deficit Characteristics

Chapter 17: The Performance Challenges of Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder

Chapter 18: Behavioral Observations of Autism

Chapter 19: Behavioral Observations of Attention Deficit Disorder

Chapter 20: The Birth of Autism

Part Four: Community Relations

Chapter 21: A Position of Authority or Service?

Chapter 22: Valuable Daily Experiences with Developmental Deficiencies

Chapter 23: Autism and Ramifications of Academic Progress

Chapter 24: Where and How Do We Draw the Line?

Chapter 25: Executive View of Developmental Disorders

Chapter 26: Intention of the Soul

Conclusion

Contact Information

Autism Demystified

Disclosing the Mysteries of Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

2014 by Jason M. Hufft

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-62020-277-7

eISBN: 978-1-62020-380-4

Disclaimer: The contents of this book are not a substitute to professional assessment or treatment of mental or emotional disorders. Rather it is a forestep aiding the individual in self-identification of the effects of personal choice in contributing to their present life situation. It assumes that each individual is capable of making life-enhancing decisions.

Cover Design & Page Layout by Hannah Nichols

Ebook Conversion by Anna Riebe

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DEDICATIONS

To Jesus Christ, our God and heavenly father who provides us with our knowledge, wisdom, and unique abilities;

To my parents and family who have always supported and encouraged me;

To my co-workers who dedicate their lives to serving and caring for children;

To my students with special needs who have provided me a wealth of knowledge I now share with others;

To all children who suffer from autism, attention deficit disorder, or related birth boundary who wish to discover more about themselves and their conditions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing a book reminds me of building a puzzle: the only difference is I did not have the pieces. It is a daunting responsibility to design and create those pieces as well as decide how to put them together. I prayed every evening for guidance to write this book, and asked for words of wisdom to share with readers. As a result, I never failed to find ideas or the right words to share.

Thus, I give a multitude of thanks to the Lord. I thank Him, for He is the ultimate source of truth. It is only through Him I had the ability and knowledge to perform the duties He has set before me: to take care of children with special needs. I thank Him and accept my duty and calling.

I also thank my parents for the wonderful job they have done to prepare me for the life the Lord has given me and the earthly job He has assigned to me. So many caregivers break connection with their children when they reach adulthood and fail to recognize the significance of their presence in their children’s lives. Again, thank you for your continued support and guidance you have so willingly given me throughout the years, especially during the creation of this work.

To my very close friend, Kevin McCarthy, author of Surviving the Justice Experience and founder of a nonprofit organization that provides spiritual guidance and support to families of criminal offenders, I extend another multitude of thanks. Your continuous support and feedback regarding my ideas and feelings throughout the creation of this work is greatly appreciated.

I also thank my co-workers for their support and the information they provided me. While working in many teachers’ classrooms, I have become aware of many struggles faced by teachers and caregivers who service children with autism and other related conditions. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to observe children in classroom environments as well as record my observation data while working with them.

Thank you to my remaining family members and friends who provided me a wealth of support during this project. Although I cannot list every name, this work would not be as successful and productive as it is without your support.

Finally, I thank all of my students as well as the many children I have worked with over the years. I hope one day you will read this work and recognize the unique part you played in its development. In particular, I thank the caregivers who shared their children’s stories with me and trusted my support outside of the school system. Your generosity allowed me to share the truth about the struggles many children face with developmental deficiencies.

INTRODUCTION

Values and moral standards have progressively faded away in the lives of children. No longer is a thank you given for a generous offering or hospitality. Rather than acknowledge gracious intentions, a complaint is made regarding the quality or quantity of a gift. It has become normal, learned behavior.

Unfortunately, people assume children behave with little or no moral standards because it has become more difficult to identify a child with a decent, loving, and accepting heart when he or she is presented an offering. Basically, rude children—once considered the minority—have become the majority.

When children do not learn to express appreciation when another person offers a helping hand, or thoughtful gesture, inappropriate behavior is viewed as a proper response. Rather than learn appropriate conduct, unsuitable behavior takes root because it is the understood way to function in society. When no one identifies or confronts problematic behavior, it remains a problem and a disproportionate number of uncivilized individuals evolve. As a result, replacement behavior is never learned.

Problem behavior is identifiable when a comparison is made between individuals in a majority group who exhibit similar behavioral characteristics and individuals in a minority group who exhibit opposing behavioral characteristics. In other words, there must be a marked difference in behavioral characteristics in order to recognize problem behavior.

We generally assume the majority group as the norm. This might be true when we first consider the behavior of children because we use these observations to make certain judgments, which affect their lives. Suppose, however, the minority group became the majority group—abnormal, undesirable behavior became the norm.

Then society begins to assume inappropriate behavior is typical of children because it is exhibited by a majority group. If the minority group is always assumed to be abnormal, the group actually exhibiting problem behavior is overlooked. The problem is no longer identifiable; therefore, society begins to accept problem behavior or fails to recognize it. Then, blame is placed based on assumption.

For example, blame is placed on teaching practices, the use of video games, a child’s diet, and many other sources with no connection to the true cause of autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and other related birth boundaries. This is exactly what has transpired with populations of children with special needs, including autism and ADD.

In a typical classroom at least 25 percent of students suffer from autism, ADD, or related autism spectrum disorders: five out of twenty students. This percentage is a generous estimate because in many classrooms, 50 percent of students suffer some level of autism spectrum disorder. In other classrooms, even more. Grade levels in schools struggle to manage children in large gatherings (i.e., practices for school plays) because they exhibit uncontrollable behaviors.

The uneducated have accepted these behaviors as the normal, typical childhood behavior, and autism and ADD are often overlooked. Basically, because autism and ADD behavior increasingly flood our society and local schools, those behaviors have become the conduct of a majority group. The behavior of a typical child has become the minority.

Consider a classroom with greater than 50 percent of the children suffering from ADD. When everyone, or a majority, exhibits the same behavior, how is a difference identified? It cannot. This is where society continues to head if a thorough cognition of autism and ADD is not achieved. Normal behavior becomes the behavior of a minority group.

Unfortunately, many people have come to believe the increased number of autism and ADD sufferers in society is simply a fallacy to promote pharmaceutical sales. This denial about the true reason for the increase in autism and ADD sufferers simply abuses children.

All children are subject to abuse behind closed doors, and denial simply slams those doors. Moreover, it is repeat burden for caregivers. Children with autism and ADD are doubly handicapped because they cannot express or explain their suffering. Thus, it is up to observers who understand their struggles and challenges.

How can anyone have the heart to harm a child? How can anyone have the heart to cause fear, sadness, and steal a young soul’s joy? Hopefully, it is beyond our understanding, and none of us can fathom such evil. Hopefully, not one of us would ever have a glimpse or thought of doing such horrifying things.

For those of us who would never induce harm upon children, it is difficult to understand or imagine these acts truly take place. The truth: there are people who do not care. Abuse toward children is not their concern. As a result, abuse becomes hidden, masked, and placed in disguise. Therefore, it is not seen.

This terrible evil transpires within the homes of people who are lost and live a life of silence. It is completely different from the way we live our lives. Therefore, two worlds are formed: the world of people who live at peace and people whose hearts experience pain and suffering.

We want what is best for our children. We fight for our children. We cry for our children. We even go out of our way for our children and might put ourselves in danger for them. The things we do for our children are indescribable. Hence, it is impossible for us to fathom another person inducing harm to a child.

This difference in worlds not only exists between children who are physically harmed versus those deeply loved, but it also exists with children who are abused and neglected versus those nurtured and cherished. It exists in the lives of children with mental and cognitive exceptionalities not seen or understood. In fact, they walk before, around, and among us. Yet, we never have a clue about their suffering—we wear blinders.

It is no different than the child who is beaten, yet is afraid to share his or her grief and pain. The child has no ability to explain or verbalize his or her suffering, and does not know with whom to share feelings if he or she is able to do so. Rather, the child keeps those feelings within and the pain builds inside. Eventually, the unresolved suffering catches up to him or her later in life.

This same tragedy occurs to a child with an exceptionality, who never receives help. Painful emotions continue to build inside and he or she does not know why. Cognitively, the child is hurt, so it is even more difficult to verbalize pain. When the child reaches adulthood, he or she continues to suffer from the pain he or she cannot explain. The children of such individuals have the same difficulty, yet attempts are made to hide them.

Suppose you were told by local officials a certain toxic chemical had been slowly burning for the past ten years. They simply failed to inform you until its fumes caused certain types of cancer. Would you completely ignore the message, or would you further educate yourself about the matter?

Suppose the effects of the burnt chemical were embedded in those infected and became hereditary. As the human population continued to branch out, the effects of this terrible chemical becomes an epidemic. No one is able to identify the effects in their children because it is no different than what they experience. In other words, it is assumed as a normal, typical suffering, not a severe problem. In fact, it might not even be identified or recognized at all because of the duration of the epidemic.

An autism and ADD epidemic has polluted our society, and increasingly more children suffer from these disorders. Individuals with legal authority to issue a diagnosis of mental disorders have a limited understanding about the true nature and behaviors, which govern these disorders. They misdiagnose them.

Unfortunately, people assume authority figures are the most trustworthy people to seek advice from about their children. This is not the case. Due to the votes of psychology boards, economic issues, and mixed messages from people who have not spent significant time observing the behaviors of individuals with such conditions, our society remains without governing reasons for autism and ADD.

It is my goal and duty to give you the best understanding and explanation about the true nature of these developmental disorders. I will also present ways to cope with and manage the behaviors of individuals who suffer from them.

PART ONE

AUTISM:

A FURTHER EXPLORATION

AUTISM IS A VERY RISKY topic to discuss because most people are uncertain about its distinction. I was once approached by a caregiver in need of information regarding autism. She told me she had searched the subject and could not find a thorough explanation or description. She explained there was a multitude of information available for physical conditions and disabilities; however, very little regarding mental conditions and disabilities. I explained there is a huge misunderstanding about autism’s true nature.

Most people define autism simply as a communication disorder. It is frequently identified as a person who is nonverbal and cannot communicate with others. This is not entirely the case. An understanding of autism requires an understanding about cognitive abilities we possess as well as how they are uniquely affected relative to the disorder.

Believe it or not, most autism cases have not been identified or diagnosed. Several classrooms in which I have worked, I recognized many undiagnosed and unrecognized cases, yet those who worked with the children inquired about the low comprehension scores the children consistently received.

School system authorities have no clue about these disorders, as is evident in the intervention methods they prescribe for children and their teachers. For example, when a child is suffering from comprehension challenges relative to an actual disorder such as autism, authorities believe the child should be continuously taught new comprehension strategies.

First, comprehension is not something taught. Second, implementing something, which defies the laws of a disorder, while expecting a different result, is pure insanity.

It is my ultimate goal to provide the most effective and thorough explanation about autism’s nature, including related behaviors, associated cognitive challenges, assessment methods to determine the disorder’s possibilities, and strategies to cope with an individual who suffers from the disorder.

CHAPTER 1

THE AUTISTIC MIND

WE ARE BORN WITH AN innate ability, which matures during postadolescence. It is a unique ability about which many of us become unaware and take for granted. Many of us are unaware because the unique ability is considered second nature and, therefore, never discussed. We have an ability to perceive and acquire information from our environment through sensory input. We form conclusions based on what we see, hear, or observe.

In other words, we form a conclusive understanding about an occurrence or observation within a shared environment. Our conclusive understanding does not involve information given to us from others, but is based on perceptions formed within our minds.

Consider the following scenario. When we step outside on a peaceful morning, before proceeding to work, we notice a vehicle rapidly passing in the street. Suddenly, once the vehicle is no longer in sight, we hear a loud crash and scream near the end of the street. Nothing was seen; only heard.

A conclusion can be formed within our minds to suggest the passing car collided with another near the end of the street. An additional conclusion can be formed to suggest someone was injured in the accident, but the only observation made was the passing vehicle. Although no visual supports our conclusion, they are formed within our minds based on the previous observation of the rapidly passing car, and the loud crash and scream heard near the end of the street.

The ability to reason and form conclusions within the mind in support of an observation or occurrence is granted by a theory of mind. A theory of mind is simply the ability to reason and answer the question. The question why is answered independently when a direct answer is not provided. The conclusive understanding formed within the mind is based on this cognitive ability—a theory of mind.

Another example to demonstrate how a theory of mind is frequently applied to occurrences and observations can be noted in this next situation. Consider observing a person laughing hysterically, but not knowing why the person is laughing. Walking alongside the person is another whose expression lingers with a smile. As both people pass, an observer might conclude one of the two individuals shared a funny comment with the other, which explains the reason for the laughter.

Another might conclude the two people saw something humorous: one responded with hysterical laughter and the other responded with a smile. Each conclusion is a logical explanation to easily explain the reasons for the laughter and smile. Although the answer to why each person’s emotions were expressed in different ways is not directly revealed.

One has the ability to form a conclusive understanding based on the mind’s reasoning to answer the question about why the behaviors occurred. Again, the unique ability to form a conclusive understanding is based on what is known—a theory of mind.

A theory of mind is an insightful, untaught awareness. It is an internal development, which naturally progresses through the stages of human development. It is an instinct; it is either present or absent.

We can only be taught to become aware of our abilities in order to reason and form conclusions while we learn how to use the abilities to assist us in our lives. Sure, a teacher in a classroom can introduce strategies to discover clues by using pictures and words in a story to promote independency in a child’s understanding, especially to those who are insightful. However, the cognitive ability to discover meaning, based on the mind’s reasoning, cannot.

Another way to illustrate a theory of mind is to consider the abstract world, which is designed, answered, and explained by a theory of mind. The ability to imagine, perceive, infer, and comprehend with meaningful understanding, and then conclude with reason are based on a person’s theory of mind development level. The ability to discover meaning, reason, or purpose without a direct answer or explanation is created by a theory of mind.

Discoveries based on our theory of mind are simply formed alone. Consider the observations we make through the use of our senses. When we do not have a direct answer to an observation, we take the information and we form meaning within our minds based on the information acquired through observation. Again, the answer or meaning is not given to us directly, but is formed within our minds.

A theory of mind is how we acquire a meaningful understanding about all things based on observations we make. Otherwise, it is simply observation without meaningful understanding.

THE SUBTLE MIND

It is assumed a theory of mind is a cognitive ability everyone possesses when, in truth, it is not. It is also assumed everyone has the same level of reasoning capability when, in fact, some people function at lower levels than other people. Some individuals actually have complete absence of a theory of mind, which will be discussed later.

Many of us have met people who are very naive or ignorant in their understanding, judgment, and abilities to reason. Basically, an extreme limitation can be found in their insight. These individuals are generally very nice people, who can communicate, socialize, and understand information being conveyed, but they have limited abilities to form conclusions and inferences within a shared environment.

While those of us with strong abilities in these areas are considered insightful, other individuals have very limited abilities to clearly or deeply perceive and do so with limited understanding. Things which many of us take for granted or easily understand with reason and meaning are seemingly impossible for other individuals to grasp.

Many people have labeled such individuals as not playing with a full deck, strange, not all there, etc. Have we ever taken the time to seriously consider the reasons for their behavior?

Another by-product of autism is a significant characteristic: a delayed theory of mind. Cases involve individuals, who expressed abilities in receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language to normal functioning levels, but had a delayed theory of mind. Basically, the individuals demonstrated autistic characteristics without delay or impairment in any communication or language area. The only delayed behavior was identified in the individual’s theory of mind development level. This unique area of delay is what I consider the subtle mind.

Subtle-minded individuals have a present theory of mind delayed in its functioning. However, it is not impaired or restricted to the extent of a person with complete autism. These individuals have a delay, which causes a lower ability to reason than other people. Some of these individuals might even have normal functioning status, but are simply slower as they identify and discover meaning based on reason.

For example, a conclusion formed in the mind from an observation with no direct answer might come quickly to people without a delayed theory of mind. On the other hand, people with a delay might take longer to form a conclusion or not be able to do so as quickly as a typical person.

Another way to illustrate the subtle mind is by considering an ability many of us identify as common sense, which is basically how many of us refer to a theory of mind or our ability to reason. We formulate conclusive, meaningful understandings based on the observations we make through sensory input. For those of us with the ability, a theory of mind, or common sense, comes into play during the observation without a problem.

However, subtle-minded individuals struggle to form these conclusive, meaningful understandings. They actually have the common sense ability, but the meaningful understanding obtained through the observation, in addition to the reasoning behind the observation, is restricted.

Delayed functioning of a theory of mind also affects a person’s ability to socially communicate—socialization is limited and is often misunderstood by observers. As a result, sufferers are labeled strange when other people communicate with them.

Individuals suffering from the challenge of a limited theory of mind face social challenges because they are often very trusting and easily deceived. They can be conned or misled into doing many things. Additionally, they often hurt themselves because their trust levels in other people are very high.

Sales people love these individuals because they can talk them into making purchases. The secret to sales involves the creation of a false problem, which influences people to believe the item being sold is needed. Creating a false problem easily works for these individuals because they are fooled into believing the item is needed.

People with a limited theory of mind are unable to read or identify the intentions of other individuals. They often misread intentions because they seemingly believe anything they see or hear. The reason for their naïveté is because their abilities to reason and draw conclusions with meaning are limited, not impaired. They are limited to a level, which leaves them vulnerable to deception.

AN IMPAIRED THEORY OF MIND

For some individuals, the subtle mind is a modest classification when we consider their challenging behavior. These individuals are victims of an impaired theory of mind. Rather than a limited ability to reason or form a meaningful understanding, the ability is absent.

Envisioning an impaired ability to reason is extremely difficult because it is an ability instinctively developed. Thus, consider the following scenario. A shopper visits the local Wal-Mart each day and sees the same greeter during each visit. However, the greeter is not there one day. The shopper might suggest something happened to the greeter, which would explain his or her absence. Another individual might suggest the greeter took a vacation and is simply not working that day.

A theory of mind draws these inferences or conclusions. We form these conclusions based on logical guesses to explain the reason for the greeter’s absence. Even though we have not been directly told why the greeter is not present, our theory of mind draws these inferences for us.

Suppose, however, we did not have the ability to create these explanations or form these possibilities about why the greeter is absent. Suppose our only understanding was the greeter was not present and we could not explain why. We could not even falsify an explanation for the greeter’s absence. This challenging inability to reason is due to a realm of thinking or frame of mind known as autism.

The autistic thinker is unable to form meaningful understandings, conclusions, or inferences based on observations without direct, concrete evidence. He or she does not show evidence of an inquiring mind, which seeks more reason and meaningful understanding after conclusions are formulated. When someone does not possess a theory of mind, he or she will not have the desire to seek reason and meaningful understanding.

Unfortunately, this challenge is hardly recognized because communication is typically the area of focus when the behavior of autistic individuals is studied.

One’s theory of mind or ability to reason and draw meaningful understanding of an environment is an imperative cognitive ability needed for success in life. With an impaired ability, communication might still be present, but the challenge the individual faces might be concealed. Since one’s impairment of meaningful understanding is neither visible nor easily recognizable, it takes a period of time of communication with a person to recognize the cognitive challenge he or she might face from the struggles associated with autism.

The lack of awareness of an impaired cognitive ability is what has blinded people to awareness and recognition of autism in children. The typical characteristics professionals observe involve nonverbal communication, delayed language development, and extreme crying outbursts. Unfortunately, many professionals are not trained or are unaware of an individual’s inability to reason or form a conclusive understanding of ideas within an environment.

When in the presence of someone who might suffer from autistic challenges, the greatest method to test the person is to ask why questions. Any question, which forces an individual to perceive or reason based on the information acquired, is a test for the presence of a theory of mind.

When the autistic individual is presented with such questions, a barrier is reached, and the response is either frustration or the answer is completely non-related to the question. The person will appear to have an inability to process the spoken information. When an individual is unable to draw reason and form meaning within his or her mind without input from another individual, the person is definitely subject to autism, an impaired theory of mind.

EXPECTANCY THEORY

We live our lives as programmed acts installed within us. We follow daily routines and steps to guide us through our daily tasks and interactions. These routines are so common we form expectations regarding certain activities throughout each day.

For example, we expect our vehicles to be in our driveways when we awake in the morning. We expect them to start and run as they did the day or night before. We expect our spouses or loved ones to be where they are supposed to be when we awake in the morning. We expect our bank accounts to be secure.

Each example demonstrates an expectation we have not formed intentionally, but unintentionally due to the consistency of daily routines and tasks. These expectations are based on what is known as expectancy theory: each of us adopt beliefs through daily consistencies in our lives.

A challenge arises, however, for the autistic individual. The autistic individual becomes highly adaptive to the expectancy theory. The expectancies in an autistic individual’s life are learned behaviors formed by repetitive experience of the same occurrence. However, when the autistic individual faces a change in a consistency or a conflict with expectancy, the autistic individual does not know how to react. The individual has an inability to reason or form a conclusive understanding for the change in a common occurrence.

We might react to our vehicles not being in the driveway in the morning in shock as we quickly form a conclusion. We might infer the vehicle was stolen. Our theory of mind comes into play and is operative in these situations. It is what we rely upon when changes occur in our daily expectations. Knowing the autistic individual has a delayed or impaired theory of mind, we can conclude why the individual easily struggles with changes in a daily routine.

COMMUNICATION OF THE AUTISTIC INDIVIDUAL—A MISPERCEPTION

Current medical and mental health professionals define autism by the communication barriers observed in sufferers with the disorder. The true severity of it, however, is not visible or noticeable through simple communication, which is why it is often overlooked and misdiagnosed.

As recently discovered, the severity of autism is defined by the impaired development of a theory of mind. Interestingly, certain language development areas are in direct relation to the impaired development of a theory of mind. However, have they ever considered the reason and cause for these communication barriers?

Three language areas are used to communicate, including receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language. Receptive language is simply our ability to process language through either spoken or in written form. Receptive language encompasses our ability to process or comprehend information conveyed by other people in addition to information we gather through text.

Expressive language involves our ability to convey and deliver information to other people either spoken or in written form. While pragmatic language is defined as our ability to communicate socially with other people.

Autism is more commonly a communication disorder. However, the main area of language impairment is pragmatic language. Pragmatic language development is tied to a person’s theory of mind. Since autism involves the impaired development of an individual’s theory of mind, it is evident why pragmatic language ceases to develop.

Language and a person’s ability to communicate develop over time whenever he or she is in the presence of language being communicated by other individuals. To illustrate this development, consider the language development of a child.

Parents first speak to their newborn child. The infant soon begins to create sounds and eventually small words. The small words eventually evolve into short phrases and short sentences. As the communication between parents and their child increases, the development of the child’s language increases.

When a child’s theory of mind is impaired, however, language development, especially pragmatic language, is hindered from further development. Pragmatic language involves a person’s ability to decipher between humor and seriousness, in addition to the ability to infer the intention behind another person’s words.

It also involves the ability to identify meaning and reason to support the behavior and actions of other people. Therefore, we can conclude our ability to reason is connected to our pragmatic language development. Due to the impaired development of a theory of mind, pragmatic language ceases to develop to its peak potential.

A child suffering from autism learns how to communicate to an extent, depending on the disorder’s severity. However, many observers become confused by the communication and language learned and used by autistic children. Unfortunately, language development misleads many observers because they perceive the level of autistic communication involves responses governed by reason and meaningful understanding.

Most individuals with autism respond with rote answers, phrases, or words heard from other individuals. What many do not realize is the language these individuals use involves communicative responses without meaningful understanding. Language or communication governed with meaningful understanding requires the presence of a person’s theory of mind, which is not present in an individual suffering from autism.

A colleague and I frequently discussed the behavior of an autistic student. The child was not diagnosed with autism; however, I easily identified it by his absence of theory of mind development. My colleague often explained how this particular child appeared to be in his own world, and was completely oblivious to the world around him or what was taking place in his environment.

While we were in the hallway one morning, my colleague clearly illustrated the point. She asked the child, Where are we? The child quickly responded, At home.

He responded without any facial expression or vocal inflection, and appeared to be serious about