In this paper, we attempt to make a distinction between egocentrism and allocentrism in social cognition, based on the distinction that is made in visuo-spatial perception. We propose that it makes a difference to mentalizing whether the other person can be understood using an egocentric ("you") or an allocentric ("he/she/they") stance. Within an egocentric stance, the other person is represent...

Reports on theory-of-mind deficits have led to the common belief that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with a lack of empathy. Resonance is a basic empathyrelated process, linking two interacting individuals at the physiological level. Findings in ASD have been inconclusive regarding basic empathy. We investigated resonance at the autonomic level – the salivation-inducing effect o...

Asperger syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder on the higher-functioning end of the Autism Spectrum. Like many of the other Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), people with Asperger‘s struggle in social situations and using social skills while executing everyday life activities. This is particularly notable during adolescence, when social skills and relationships gain complexity and behav...

Five rating scales for screening and detection of Asperger's Disorder, three commercially available and two research instruments, are evaluated with reference to psychometric criteria outlined by Bracken in 1987 (Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 4, 313). Reliability and validity data reported in examiner's manuals or published reports are reviewed. The scales included in the review are ...

behaviors of people with Asperger syndrome, with the intent to give an account of the severity of symptoms in the area of nonverbal interaction, as well as providing a profile of nonverbal behaviors that may be targeted for intervention. Through this communication profile, overall nonverbal ability is calculated in a group of 20 subjects with Asperger syndrome. The proposed scale also includes ...

Theory of mind was assessed in 32 adults with HFA, 29 adults with Asperger syndrome and 32 neurotypical adults. The HFA and Asperger syndrome groups were impaired in performance of the Strange stories test and the Faux-pas test and reported more theory of mind problems than the neurotypical adults. The three groups did not differ in performance of the Eyes test. Furthermore, correlations betwee...

Twenty-one adolescent boys with Asperger syndrome and 21 boys matched on age and an estimate of IQ were assessed using standardized measures of social perception (Child and Adolescent Social Perception Measure, CASP), social skills (parent, teacher, and student forms of the Social Skills Rating System, SSRS), number of close friends and frequency of contact (Child Behavior Checklist) and expres...