Children and adults on the autism spectrum frequently struggle with applying social reasoning in real-life, daily situations, even when they demonstrate high performance on structured, explicit laboratory mind-reading tests.
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[1] Supports · 2017
Social skills and self-control in kids with autism and ADHDBecause of the cross-sectional design, this study cannot prove whether self-control deficits cause social difficulties or vice versa. The clinical samples were heavily skewed toward males, with over 91.42% of the autism group and 94.3% of the ADHD group being boys, meaning the results might not fully apply to girls. Additionally, high medication rates—such as 71.4% of the ADHD group taking psychostimulants—and a reliance on subjective teacher ratings for executive functions limit the generalizability of these findings.
Original paper[2] Supports · 2020
Social Mind-Reading Profiles in Autistic ChildrenThe study relied mostly on parent-reported questionnaires rather than direct behavioral observations in natural settings like classrooms, which may introduce observer bias. It also used a cross-sectional design, meaning it cannot track how these profiles change as children grow up. Additionally, the small sample was mostly male, meaning the findings might not accurately represent autistic girls.
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