New Scale Developed to Assess Theory of Mind Skills in Educators Working with Children with Autism

August 29, 2026 2 Min Read

Introduction to Theory of Mind in Educational Settings

The ability to understand and attribute mental states to oneself and others, known as Theory of Mind (ToM), plays a crucial role in social cognition. This capacity is particularly important for educators working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as it can influence how they interpret and respond to students’ behaviors and needs.

Development of a Theory of Mind Assessment Tool for Educators

Despite the recognized importance of ToM in educational contexts, most research has focused on clinical populations rather than on education professionals themselves. Addressing this gap, a recent study introduced a new self-report questionnaire designed to evaluate ToM-related skills among professionals working with children with ASD in inclusive school environments.

Study Design and Participants

The study involved 291 education professionals from Chilean schools that implement inclusion policies. Participants completed the newly developed questionnaire, which aimed to capture various dimensions of ToM skills relevant to their professional roles. Due to the nature of recruitment, the sample was considered a convenience sample.

Psychometric Evaluation

Researchers conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the underlying structure of the questionnaire. The analysis revealed a 35-item scale organized into five factors grouped under two main domains:

Interpersonal Dimension: This domain includes the identification of others’ mental states, encompassing emotion recognition, inference-making, and empathic responses.
Intrapersonal Dimension: This domain reflects the identification of one’s own mental states and comprises four factors: awareness of personal thoughts and emotions, reflective ability, planning ability, and emotion regulation ability.

All factors demonstrated strong internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.8, indicating reliable measurement.

Implications for Practice and Future Research

The introduction of this scale offers a promising tool for assessing Theory of Mind-related skills in educators working with children with ASD, potentially informing professional development and support strategies tailored to enhance inclusive education practices.

However, the authors emphasize that further validation is necessary. Larger and more diverse samples should be studied to confirm the scale’s psychometric properties and to explore how these ToM skills relate to classroom interactions and educational outcomes.

Conclusion

This preliminary research marks an important step in recognizing and measuring the socio-cognitive skills of education professionals in inclusive settings. Understanding educators’ Theory of Mind capabilities may contribute to better support for students with ASD.

For more detailed information, see the original study published in PLoS One: Design, development, and pilot study of a scale for educational professionals to assess theory of mind-related skills regarding children with ASD.