| Although the study of resiliency in typically developing individuals has provided insight into factors that promote positive outcomes, limited research has focused on resiliency in clinical populations such as Asperger's Disorder (AD). In contrast, extensive literature suggests that individuals with AD have difficulty with Theory of Mind (ToM). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between ToM and resiliency in youth with AD. To better understand the social-emotional profile of AD, participants completed tasks related to social cognition and resiliency. Participants' performance on an "advanced" ToM task was lower than that of a typically developing population, but better than that of other individuals with AD or High-Functioning Autism from a previous study. No gender differences were found, and ToM was not significantly correlated with resiliency for this population. Understanding social-emotional abilities that are related to resiliency in youth with AD has the potential to better inform interventions. |
