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Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
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Test-Retest Reliability of a Theory of Mind Task Battery for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Tiffany L. Hutchins

University of Vermont, Burlington, Tiffany.Hutchins{at}uvm.edu

Patricia A. Prelock

University of Vermont, Burlington

Wendy Chace

Franklin County Home Health, St. Albans, Vermont

This study examined for the first time the test-retest reliability of theory-of-mind tasks when administered to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A total of 16 questions within 9 tasks targeting a range of content and complexity were administered at 2 times to 17 children with ASD. In all, 13 questions demonstrated adequate test-retest reliability and high internal consistency. Items that did not achieve reliability violated a pragmatic convention, were ambiguous, or were associated with a response bias. No effect of verbal ability or diagnosis was found on consistency of performance. There was no effect of interval (i.e., short vs. long) on change in score although modest increases in performance occurred generally across administrations. Implications for research and practice are considered.

Key Words: autism • theory of mind • false belief • assessment • reliability • socialization

This version was published on December 1, 2008

Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Vol. 23, No. 4, 195-206 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1088357608322998
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