Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My 13-year-old son with ASD has passed all of the false belief tests, yet he still has great difficulty with social skills. Why?

A: Even individuals with ASD who have average or high IQs who have passed theory of mind/false belief tests still may have challenges with other higher-level skills and using these skills in generalization. Often persons are able to explain answers and correctly identify the feelings and thoughts of others when they are not anxious and in a non-stressful and comfortable environment. However, when placed in a stressful environment or when having to react in quick, flowing social exchanges, behavior often lags behind and individuals are not able to show what they know in testing situations. Remember the tests that your son passed tapped skills that typically developing children acquire between 4 and 6 years of age.

Q: My daughter is 3 years old and has been diagnosed with autism. Can you tell me at what age that she should be able to pass theory of mind tests?

A: Every person with ASD has different skills, strengths and weaknesses. Not knowing your daughter, it is difficult to speculate about her future mind reading ability. However, we can make some generalizations based on the research. It is very probable that she will be delayed in passing the basic false belief test. Typically developing children usually pass this test at 4 years of age, so it is probable that your daughter will be successful at this skill at a later age. However, so many other characteristics will play a role in mind reading ability. This includes cognitive ability, future diagnosis, personality, and learning style. Research has shown that those with higher cognitive ability and Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS are more successful at solving false belief tasks. However, these are generalizations and every student is different.

Q: Is theory of mind like extra-sensory perception (ESP)? Are you actually reading someone’s mind?

A: NO! This is a common misperception when the term mind reading is used. Often detractors from the theory of mind paradigm say this to diminish the theory’s strength and to poke fun at it. The theory of mind model described in this module has nothing to do with ESP or any other telepathic power. The mind reading skills discussed here are basic everyday skills that most people develop easily over time beginning as infants and continuing through adolescence.