Measuring theory of mind in children. Psychometric properties of the ToM Storybooks.
ToM Storybooks give BCBAs a fast, solid way to track theory-of-mind growth in both neurotypical kids and kids on the spectrum.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a picture-book test called ToM Storybooks. It has 34 short tasks that check if a child can guess what others think or feel.
They tried it on kids with and without autism. Ages ran from 3 to 12.
What they found
The book test held up. It gave steady scores across two tries and matched other mind-reading tasks.
Both typical kids and kids with PDD-NOS could finish it. That means one tool works for both groups.
How this fits with other research
Hatton et al. (1999) first showed that PDD-NOS kids lag behind peers on mind-reading. Porter et al. (2008) now give us a quick storybook pack to measure that lag.
Pujals et al. (2016) also checked a Spanish mind-reading survey. Both papers prove you can swap long lab tasks for short, story-based tests.
Eilon et al. (2025) found autistic kids still stumble on words like “think” and “know.” The new storybooks can track if those language gaps spill into mind-reading scores.
Why it matters
You no longer need a two-hour lab visit to see if a client gets false-belief. Open the 34-story book, note the answers, and you have a valid score in 20 minutes. Use it at intake, mid-treatment, or before discharge to show parents clear progress on social-cognition goals.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although research on Theory-of-Mind (ToM) is often based on single task measurements, more comprehensive instruments result in a better understanding of ToM development. The ToM Storybooks is a new instrument measuring basic ToM-functioning and associated aspects. There are 34 tasks, tapping various emotions, beliefs, desires and mental-physical distinctions. Four studies on the validity and reliability of the test are presented, in typically developing children (n = 324, 3-12 years) and children with PDD-NOS (n = 30). The ToM Storybooks have good psychometric qualities. A component analysis reveals five components corresponding with the underlying theoretical constructs. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, construct validity and convergent validity are good. The ToM Storybooks can be used in research as well as in clinical settings.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2008 · doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0585-3