Theory of Mind in Autistic Family: A Literature Review

Theory of mind is the people ability to understand their own mental states and the others. People with autism have significant deficit in this ability. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review about theory of mind studies conducted with relatives of people with autistic spectrum disorders. We used as databases BVS Medline, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier and Psy Articles in search of articles. Nine articles were selected and the results indicated inconclusive data on the existence of theory of mind deficits in relatives of people with autistic spectrum disorders. Thus, future studies are aimed to shed light on the topic.