The Role of Nice and Nasty Theory of Mind in Teacher-Selected Peer Models for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders:

The study aimed at verifying if nice and nasty theory of mind behaviors, in association with teachers’ peer buddy nomination, could be used to correctly select peer models for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Mentalizing abilities and emotional and behavioral characteristics of 601 adolescents were assessed. Results suggest that teachers recognize how students socially use their mind-reading ability, and employ such knowledge to select peers as intervention agents.