Do Autistic Children Understand What Others Think or Feel?

"Theory of mind" describes the human ability to understand that it is impossible for one person to know what is going on in another person's mind. "Theory of mind" sounds like a complex concept, but in fact, it's usually mastered by children before they're 5 years old.

As examples, a child who has mastered theory of mind understands that:

• If they hide, other people don't know where they are.
• If they think a thought or have an emotion, but don't express it, that thought or emotion is not communicated to others (and that others may not share all their thoughts).
• Their likes and dislikes may or may not be shared by others and others may have completely different preferences and tastes.
• If they have information that someone else does not have, they must communicate that information or risk being misunderstood.
• If they witness something that others don't witness, they know something that other people don't know.

Autistic People Find Mind-Reading Difficult

Theory of mind may be elusive for autistic children and adults alike. This does not mean that autistic people lack empathy, but rather that it is difficult for them to second-guess others' motivations, intentions, or hidden agendas.

Research suggests the challenges include difficulty with reading subtle facial expressions and body language. For example, it may be hard for autistic people to intuit whether raised eyebrows are a sign of surprise, fear, or disapproval.

Vocal tones can also be an issue. For example, subtle changes in tone and prosody can express the idea that one is joking, sarcastic, disbelieving, and so forth. But when autistic people can't recognize those subtle changes, they may take jokers seriously, or believe that a sarcastic statement is sincere.

As a result, autistic people often misunderstand other people's motivations or desires. They may also fail to communicate information or advocate for their own needs. Difficulty with theory of mind can also make autistic people more vulnerable to being misled, bullied, or abused.

Autism and "Mind-Blindness"

Researcher Simon Baron-Cohen describes Theory of Mind as "being able to infer the full range of mental states." They include beliefs, desires, intentions, imagination, and emotions that cause action, and the ability to reflect on your own mind and what another may be thinking.

Baron-Cohen developed a term for lack of theory of mind that he called "mind blindness." Researchers including Baron-Cohen and Uta Frith believe that mind blindness at some level is present in all autistic people. They also feel that the lack of theory of mind is a result of neurological differences.

For autistic people with low support needs, it is possible to build some "mind reading" abilities through practice, discussion, and social skills training. Even with practice and training, though, mind blindness may be an issue for autistic people throughout their lives.