Theory of Mind
The "theory of mind" is quite simply, the ability to think about one's own mind and the mind of another. It is called a "theory" because, at best, when we think about what may be going on in the mind of another person it is an educated guess. Some people have referred to this ability as "mind reading". Probably this is an accurate description.
Children as young as age three or four can already "read minds". That is, they are able to know that others have different thoughts than they do, they know that others may not know everything they do, and they can guess what another may think or do about something they do, say, or even think. They are not perfect at this, hence you may get a child who makes up fantastic stories in order to cover up what they actually did (e.g., "The dog ate my homework.").
How this applies to autism is that researchers have found the theory of mind to be an area of deficiency for most people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The following links to articles on this subject will explain it fully. One of the solutions for dealing with this problem in persons with autism is the use of social stories, which fills in the missing information for them.
Links to Articles on Theory of Mind
Autism and Theory of Mind - an article by Simon Baron Cohen posted at the Autism Research Center web site.
Theory of Mind - A nice one-page description of theory of mind by Stephen M. Edelson of the Center for the Study of Autism.
Books by Simon Baron Cohen - Several books by this excellent author on theory of mind and related topics.
Theory of Mind and Autism - A list of articles on theory of mind from neurodiversity.com.
The Sally-Anne Test - Gary Stuart shares Simon Baron Cohen's article on theory of mind and explains the Sally-Anne test for theory of mind.
Theory of Mind in Autism: Development, Implications, and Intervention - Johanna Lantz's helpful article.
Autism and the Brain's Theory of Mind - A YouTube video of Uta Frith's 2006 lecture to the M.I.N.D. Institute.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not meant to provide medical or other information. Before applying any of the information to your or your child's situation, consult a physician familiar with your or your child's specific condition. The author of this web site does not necessarly endorse any of the information obtained from links on this page.