Case study 1:
Teacher concerns relate to social and communicative problems and suspected ToM impairment. Nursery staff is concerned about Jack, a 3-year-old only child who started a term ago. His speech is unusual, often consisting of words repeated over and over or whole phrases which don’t seem to relate to the context.
He tends to communicate with the nursery staff nonverbally, for example, if he wants something he will just point to it rather than ask. He tends to use communication solely for behavioral and physical needs. The only interactions Jack initiates with staff is when he wants something that he can’t get himself.
Jack will play alongside other children or adults, but mostly ignores them rather than playing together, and is typically seen engaging in solitary role play. He plays functionally with toys and uses eye gaze appropriately during cause-and-effect play, but otherwise, eye gaze is absent. He often appears to be non-engaged and responds inconsistently to his name.
When Jack is collected from the nursery, his mum is often on the phone or has her earphones in. The staff has asked her about this, and she says that Jack shows no interest in talking to her so it’s easier for both of them if she just puts him in the buggy and pushes him home.
- Provide a critical review focusing on ToM or EF in the context of your selected case study and consider how difficulties in this area might affect the child’s education.
- You are expected to adopt a critical stance – discussing methodological strengths and limitations of studies, alternative explanations and viewpoints, and conceptual and theoretical objections – before arriving at a reasoned conclusion.
