Theory of Mind and neurodiversity
Theory of mind is the ability to understand that other people have thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that are different from our own. It helps us realize what we know, or feel is not always the same as what someone else knows or feels. For example, if a friend looks sad, theory of mind helps us guess that they might be upset about something, even if we don’t know exactly what it is. This skill begins to develop in early childhood and continues to grow as we get older.
This ability is very important for communication and relationships. When we can imagine what someone else is thinking, we can respond in ways that are kinder and more helpful. For instance, if we understand that a friend does not know a piece of information, we can explain it instead of assuming they already know. Without theory of mind, it would be hard to share ideas, solve problems together, or show empathy when others are hurt.
Theory of mind also helps us in everyday life and learning. It allows us to predict how people might act in different situations, which makes social interactions smoother. It also plays a big role in teamwork, teaching, and storytelling, because all of these require us to think about other people’s perspectives. In short, theory of mind is what allows us to connect, cooperate, and live successfully with others in society.
Development of Theory of Mind
Theory of mind first begins to develop around the age of three. Between the ages of 3 to 5, children begin to understand that people can hold false beliefs. For example, someone may believe there’s candy in a box even if it actually contains pencils. Then, between the ages of 6 to 12 theory of mind expands to include ideas like sarcasm, irony, double bluffing, and understanding that people may conceal their true feelings.
In adolescence individuals develop a more complex theory of mind that involves recognizing social reputation, peer influence, and that people can hold layered intentions, An example of layered intentions may be doing something kind for strategic reasons.
Theory of mind doesn’t stop developing in adulthood. It becomes more refined. Adults typically improve at reading subtle social cues, perspective-taking in diverse contexts, and balancing multiple viewpoints.
Closer Look at Why Theory of Mind Is Important
Four key areas where theory of mind is important:
Communication: Helps interpret implied meaning, sarcasm, or indirect requests.
Relationships: Allows empathy, conflict resolution, and perspective-taking.
Social functioning: Supports cooperation, trust, and navigating group dynamics.
Pragmatic reasoning: Helps in professions requiring negotiation, teaching, leadership, or caregiving.
How Theory of Mind May Differ in Neurodivergent Individuals
In Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), individuals may find it harder to infer unspoken intentions, sarcasm, or hidden emotions. They can also struggle with "reading between the lines" in social interactions. Some autistic individuals describe needing to consciously analyze others’ behavior rather than intuitively "just knowing."
On the positive side, ASD individuals can excel in noticing patterns or inconsistencies others miss. They are often more direct and less reliant on assumptions, which can make communication clearer.
Individuals with ADHD have theory of mind but attention lapses and impulsivity can interfere with applying it in real time. They may misinterpret or overlook subtle cues because of distractibility. On the positive side, they have high spontaneity and empathy in dynamic interactions. They also have strong situational awareness when highly engaged or hyperfocused.
For Dyslexia and Other Learning Differences theory of mind itself may be typical, but difficulties with language processing can affect how well someone expresses or interprets others’ mental states through words. On the other hand, they may rely more on nonverbal or creative forms of perspective-taking (visual, spatial, or storytelling-based).
In Schizophrenia Spectrum Conditions some individuals may misinterpret intentions (e.g., perceiving neutral actions as threatening). They may struggle to separate their own thoughts from others’ perspectives which can lead to delusions of reference or paranoia.
While in traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) damage to frontal/temporal regions can disrupt theory of mind leading to trouble with empathy or predicting others’ reactions. And in dementia one could see a decline in theory of mind over time, particularly with Alzheimer’s disease where there is a loss of recognizing others’ intentions or frontotemporal dementia where difficulty with empathy and social norms could arise.
In Short
Neurodivergence does not mean a person lacks Theory of Mind, it means they may use different cognitive routes to achieve it. For example, analytical vs. intuitive. They may also show strengths in some theory of mind tasks but difficulties in others. Or they may be impacted by secondary factors like attention, memory, language, and anxiety. This is why many researchers and advocates now prefer talking about “differences in social cognition” rather than deficits.
Theory of mind is a lifelong, evolving skill rather than something that "finishes" in childhood. It’s central to human social life, underpinning empathy, communication, and cooperation. In neurodivergent individuals, theory of mind may develop differently, be inconsistently applied, or require more explicit support, which can affect daily social interactions.
