---
abstract: 'In this chapter I defend the mind-blindness theory of autism, by showing how it can accommodate data which might otherwise appear problematic for it. Specifically, I show how it can explain the fact that autistic children rarely engage in spontaneous pretend-play, and also how it can explain the executive-function deficits which are characteristic of the syndrome. I do this by emphasising what I take to be an entailment of the mind-blindness theory, that autistic subjects have difficulties of access to their own mental states, as well as to the mental states of other people.'
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chapter: 16
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creators_name:
  - family: Carruthers
    given: Peter
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
date: 1996
date_type: published
datestamp: 2001-01-09
department: ~
dir: disk0/00/00/11/93
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editors_name:
  - family: Carruthers
    given: Peter
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
  - family: Smith
    given: Peter K
    honourific: ''
    lineage: ''
eprint_status: archive
eprintid: 1193
fileinfo: /style/images/fileicons/text_html.png;/1193/1/autism.htm
full_text_status: public
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item_issues_count: 0
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keywords: 'autism, mind-blindness, executive function, self-knowledge, pretend play'
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:54:28
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longitude: ~
metadata_visibility: show
note: ~
number: ~
pagerange: 257-276
pubdom: FALSE
publication: Theories of theories of mind
publisher: Cambridge University Press
refereed: TRUE
referencetext: ~
relation_type: []
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reportno: ~
rev_number: 8
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status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:36:53
subjects:
  - dev-psy
  - phil-mind
succeeds: ~
suggestions: ~
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thesistype: ~
title: 'Autism as mindblindness: an elaboration and partial defence'
type: bookchapter
userid: 1231
volume: ~
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