One of the ways parents can help their children develop ToM is to practice having conversations with intentional ‘thinking and feeling’ language that build emotional connections and understanding. Read on for a full list of conversation starters and suggestions for how to use them!
Children who are deaf or hard of hearing can sometimes experience delays in the development of Theory of Mind (ToM), which is the ability to recognize and put into language our own unique thoughts, feelings and beliefs and to understand that other people have perspectives, thoughts and beliefs different from our own. Parents can help their children develop ToM by using intentional ‘thinking and feeling’ language in conversations that build emotional connections and understanding.
It may seem a little overwhelming to think about the strategies to use that contain thinking and feeling language, but it’s as easy as starting a conversation! Conversations can be the day-to-day interactions that help your child develop social cognition skills and empathetic understanding. Not only do conversations build important Theory of Mind skills, they help build a strong relationship between you and your child!
Whether you’re reading a book together, talking through a routine or playing with toys, you can start your conversations with open-ended thinking and feeling comments and questions that will help your child develop the skill of understanding the meaning behind actions and events and recognizing the perspectives of others in social interactions.
Download our list of conversation starters and continue helping in the development of your LSL learner’s Theory of Mind today!