Faux pas: Assessing theory of superior mind. A control-case study

Often, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can present deficits for acquiring superior level of theory of mind (ToM) in the detection of false beliefs o blunder situations. The objective of this study is to assess 51 subjects with a primary education level (18 with ASD compared to 33 control subjects) comparing ToM level by using the test of Faux Pas test by Baron-Cohen et al. (1999) in two groups divided in 2 layers by age of 7 and 11 years. Results showed significant differences in this construct (ToM) between control group and ASD group only at the age of 11 years ( z -score = 2.26; P  = .023), but not at the age of 7 years ( z -score = 1.89; P  = .062). This suggests that ToM's superior capacity acquires greater expression and maturity towards late childhood, just before transition to adolescence stage.