Abstract: The current study of the theory of mind (ToM) in regard to the development of deaf children is mainly conducted from three perspectives. Firstly, the difference of the ToM development between normal, deaf and autistic children is analyzed. Secondly, the comparison of the development of the ToM among deaf children whose parents are also deaf, only oral deaf children and deaf children from normal families is measured. Thirdly, the cognitive level of deaf children in multifarious mental states is investigated. Besides, the study on the influencing factors of the development of the ToM for deaf children generally focuses on their communicative competence, their language ability, related training programs, etc

Key words: deaf children, theory of mind, false belief