eToM app for iPhone and iPad

Theory of mind is the most critical skill in social-cognition and a major challenge for individuals on the Autism Spectrum. SLPs and educators face the task of identifying the levels of break down of social cognitive abilities in individuals on the Autism Spectrum. This iPad app addresses this need for an effective screening and analysis of social cognition and perspective taking abilities in individuals with Autism and other special needs with comprehensive data analysis features. The test assesses not only the three levels of theory of mind (ToM), but also the role of emotional content in the understanding of perspective taking (ToME). The end objective is to help caregivers give their clients a foundation of social cognition that they can apply independently in their day-to-day lives.



The screening tool covers the following concepts of social cognition:

Conceptual Theory of Mind- basic social emotional concepts dealing with expressions and emotions:
- Conceptual Whole Face- reading emotion from the whole face
- Conceptual Top Half of Face- reading emotion from the eyes and eyebrows
- Conceptual Bottom Half of Face- reading emotion from the lower half of the face

First Order Theory of Mind- perspective taking at a single level:
- Perspective Taking- emotionally connected concept for identification of the mental state of another person through expression reading
- Social Emotional Application- emotionally connected concept where one must identify the correct response in a social situation based on another person’s emotional state
- False Belief- separation of belief and reality

Second Order Theory of Mind- perspective taking at multiple levels, complex social concepts:
- Multiple Perspective Reasoning
- Social Motives- emotional reasoning behind actions and behaviors
- Emotional Nuances- concepts such as empathy, sarcasm, jealousy, etc.



This application was designed to meet the needs of users who are more comfortable with touch screen interface and audio support. The following features help make the app more applicable to the targeted population:

- Audio Output- help widen the usability of the assessment tool
- "Submit and Calculate" Page- provides an instant breakdown report for each component of social cognition for detailed analysis
- Emailing Component- allows supervisors to test multiple clients and keep all data on record
- Instant Graphing- provides graphical representation of user data for comprehensive comparisons



The Graphs:

- Breakdown of Theory of Mind Components- displays in bar graph format the breakdown of social cognition in the same nine categories as listed above
- ToM vs. ToME- comparison of the three main levels of theory of mind with and without emotional content involved
- Comparison with Neurotypical Baselining- Our team of developers administered the test to individuals in different age levels from the neurotypical population so that caregivers of the special needs population would be able to instantly compare their clients with the normal developmental trend. Our pre-release trials and studies validated the accuracy of the neurotypical trendlines as well as the applicability of the tool for the special needs population.

For more information, check out our website: www.pragmatom.com