The role of theory of mind and emotion recognition in the social interaction of individuals with autistic disorder

Children with autistic disorder have marked impairments in social relatedness. The absence of a theory of mind has been hypothesized as a primary deficit related to social impairment. Conversely, literature has suggested that the primary deficit in autistic disorder is related to the inability to recognize emotions. For a complete understanding of the two variables and their relationship to a social deficit, the problem needs to be stated within a context of a model that would allow for both pieces of information,; A causal model is here considered unlikely, in that emotion appears at an earlier, age than does theory of mind. An interactive model is plausible, wherein the ability to develop a theory of mind and emotion recognition requires similar mechanisms that are lacking in individuals with autism. However, the model that provides the most support is one of independence, wherein theory of mind and emotion recognition may be attributable to the development of verbal ability. Recommendations for future research are discussed, particularly relating verbal ability or language impairments to theory of mind and emotion recognition among individuals with autism.