The claim that autistic individuals lack Theory of Mind (ToM)—the ability to understand that others have thoughts, emotions, and...

Theory of Mind (ToM) is a critical aspect of social cognition and undergoes significant developmental changes from infancy to adulthood. This development follows a trajectory marked by key milestones, with notable differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Infancy and Early Childhood ToM development begins in infancy, where social interaction plays a vital role. Infants depend on caregivers to regulate affective states, which in turn helps in the gradual acqui

Henry Wellman (2020) explores the development of "theory of mind"—our ability to understand and predict others' mental states. He argues...

Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states—such as beliefs, intentions, and emotions—to oneself and others, enabling social understanding and interaction (Green et al. 2015; Poletti et al. 2012). It consists of two primary components: cognitive ToM (reasoning about thoughts and beliefs) and affective ToM (reasoning about emotions), which interact but function separately (Shamay-Tsoory 2011; Sprung et al. 2022). Conceptual and Terminological Challeng

Theory of Mind (ToM) has been applied not only to humans and animals but also to Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. The extent to wh

The theory of mind  (ToM) has been instrumental in shaping research in psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence, providing a theoretical framework for investigating the cognitive processes underlying social interaction and communication. Social cognitive deficits appear to be a core cognitive phenotype of many clinical conditions (Cotter et al. 2018). Early work in social cognition focused on the central role of ToM impairments as a hallmark feature of ASD  (Baro

How Comparisons with Down Syndrome Have Changed Premack and Woodruff's seminal study in 1978 introduced the concept of theory of mind...

Theory of mind (ToM), or mentalising, is a fundamental aspect of human cognition. It is defined as the ability to attribute mental states—

Art activities have shown to be highly beneficial for autistic individuals (Vrisaba et al. 2021) because art offers a unique medium through which they can convey their thoughts, emotions, and experiences without the need for words (Bernier et al. 2022). Art serves as a powerful medium for individuals to freely express themselves, transcending the limitations of language and societal norms. It provides a nurturing environment for exploration, self-discovery, and the cultivatio