Differentiating various types of children with delayed development of social cognition.

Children who scored below the MA level on the TOM developmental test (Morinaga et al., 2003) are examined in detail. The TOM developmental test is a screening test for three to seven year olds. The test consists of three false-belief tasks, one task for the understanding of emotion, and a simple vocabulary task. It has been developed and standardised in Japan for use at day-care centres and clinics. Forty-eight children, referred to Shirayuri College Developmental Clinic, are tested with the TOM developmental test. Of these, children with high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), LD, and those with developmental disorders due to environmental factors (i.e., child abuse) tend to score below the average; however, their developmental courses differ. Although children with ADHD and nonverbal LD tend to score below MA when they are younger, they catch up as they grow. On the other hand, those children with high-functioning autism remain below the MA equivalent. Children with delays due to environmental factors tend to score low in TOM, but as the environment improves, their TOM scores improve rapidly. Various types of developmental courses suggest that differentiating underlying causes for developmental delays is an important step towards correct intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]