Might we be Calling Problems Seen in Autism Spectrum Conditions: ‘Poor Theory of Mind,’ when Actually they are Related to Non-Generalised ‘Object Permanence’?

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref OpenCitations
Learn more about the sources used

Lawson, W. & Dombroski, B. A. (2015). Might we be Calling Problems Seen in Autism Spectrum Conditions: ‘Poor Theory of Mind,’ when Actually they are Related to Non-Generalised ‘Object Permanence’? Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment, 3(1), 43-48. https://doi.org/10.6000/2292-2598.2015.03.01.6

Publication date: 25 Mar 2015 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
OpenAlex source Publisher source (DOI) Full text

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
  1. Wenn Lawson *
  2. Brynn A. Dombroski

Abstract

Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) and the delayed development of object permanence is often not questioned, and is rarely understood. The following paper attempts to explore this idea and suggests reasons for why such development is delayed and the possibility that certain difficult behaviours seen in children with ASC are less likely to be connected to having poor theory of mind and more connected to lacking generalized concepts of object permanence.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
22
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
2 / 22 (9.1%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
4 / 18 (22.2%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 4 / 6 (66.7%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 3 / 17 (17.6%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
6 / 18 (33.3%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 5 / 17 (29.4%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
2 / 6 (33.3%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 2 / 18 (11.1%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 2 / 5 (40.0%).
  1. Kami Koldewyn , Sarah Weigelt , Nancy Kanwisher , Yuhong Jiang (2013). Multiple Object Tracking in Autism Spectrum Disorders . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(6), 1394-1405. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1694-6 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1975156097
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4247665917
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. Francesca Happé , Uta Frith (2006). The Weak Coherence Account: Detail-focused Cognitive Style in Autism Spectrum Disorders . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5-25. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-005-0039-0 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2162512585
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Wenn Lawson * (2013). Sensory connection, interest/attention and gamma synchrony in autism or autism, brain connections and preoccupation . Medical Hypotheses, 80(3), 284-288. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.12.005 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2005576406
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. Matthew Belmonte (2000). Abnormal Attention in Autism Shown by Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials . Autism, 4(3), 269-285. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361300004003004 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2099869077
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. (n.d.). Dern S. Autistic intelligence, autistic perception and autistic patterns of thought that we all share in different degrees - an update. Accessed Jan. 31, 2013. www.autismand computing.org.uk
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  8. (n.d.). Harmon K. Autism might slow brain's ability to integrate input from multiple senses. Scientific American August 2010; 21: 19.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  9. Ami Klin , Warren Jones , Robert T. Schultz , Fred Volkmar (2003). The enactive mind, or from actions to cognition: lessons from autism . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 358(1430), 345-360. The Royal Society.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2002.1202 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2118389499
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  10. (n.d.). Lawson W. Life Behind glass London: JKP 2000.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  11. Renee Baillargeon , Julie DeVos (1991). Object Permanence in Young Infants: Further Evidence . Child Development, 62(6), 1227. Oxford University Press (OUP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2307/1130803 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4245602249
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. (n.d.). Lawson W. The passionate mind: How individuals with autism learn. Jessica Kingsley: London 2011.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  13. (n.d.). Murray DKC. Attention tunneling and autism. In P. Shattock & G. Linfoot (Eds.), Living with autism: The individual, the family and the professional Sunderland: Autism Research Unit, University of Sunderland 1992; pp. 89-97.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  14. (n.d.). Björne p. A possible world: Theory to practice. In Lund University Cognitive Studies 2007; 134. http://raisingchildren . net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_attention.html
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  15. (n.d.). McLeod SA. Sensorimotor Stage 2010. http://www.simplypsychology.org/sensorimotor.html
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  16. (n.d.). Parrot W. Emotions in Social Psychology, Psychology Press, Philadelphia 2001.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  17. (n.d.). Grace E. Object Permanence and Infants’ Accessed: January, 2015. http://www.kidsdevelopment.co.uk/ objectpermanenceinfants.html
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  18. (n.d.). LeDoux J. The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. New York: Simon and Schuster 1998.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  19. (n.d.). Young J, Klosko J, Weishaar S. Schema Therapy: A Practitioner's Guide. New York: The Guilford Press 2003.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  20. (n.d.). http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gipej/teaparty.pdf
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  21. (n.d.). Richards AE. Gamma oscillatory activity in autism spectrum disorder during a gaze cueing task, Eastern Michigan University Digital Commons @ EMU 2012.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  22. (n.d.). Green R. 2011. www.livesinthebalance.org https://www . youtube.com/watch?v=uoXBFOZml80
    Type: Other
    Crossref