Abstract:
The objectives of this research were to develop and examine a causal relationship model of social skills in deaf children with theory of mind as a mediator, based on empirical data. The sample was 200 deaf children with hearing loss level above 90 decibels and studied P3 to P6 in deaf schools in Thailand which are; 1) Chiang Mai school for the deaf 2) Setsatian School for the deaf, Bangkok 3) Thung Maha Mek school for the deaf, Bangkok 4) Nonthaburi school for the deaf 5) Chonburi school for the deaf 6) Udonthani school for the deaf and 7) Songkla school for the deaf. Instruments of this research were a personal questionnaire, theory of mind test, empathy test, Thai sign language skill test, caregiver attachment test, and social skills test with reliability coefficient range from .706 - .924. Data analyses were descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling through LISREL version 9.30. The result revealed that a causal relationship model fit to the empirical data and theory of mind mediated the relations between empathy, caregiver attachment, Thai sign language skills and social skills at significant level of .01. However, theory of mind did not mediate the relations between age and social skills of deaf children.