Maternal judgments of intentionality in young children with autism: the effects of diagnostic information and stereotyped behavior.

Researchers asked moms to watch short clips of 18-month-olds. Some clips showed typical play. Others showed repeated hand-flapping or spinning.

Half the moms were told the child later got an autism diagnosis. The other half got no label. All moms rated how "on purpose" each action looked.

The label did not change overall ratings. Moms still saw most play moves as intentional.

But for the flapping and spinning, the autism label dropped intentionality scores. Same motion, different meaning.

Gillberg et al. (1983) saw the same label effect with preschool twins. When adults knew the child was autistic, they spoke more simply and kept him on task.

Margoni et al. (2019) flips the picture. Their autistic preschoolers could tell accidental from on-purpose harm, showing the kids themselves grasp intention.

Buon et al. (2013) and Fernandes et al. (2022) add that autistic adults sometimes miss others’ intentions. Together the papers say: intention-reading is patchy, not missing, and outside labels shape how we judge it.

Your words change parent eyes. If you call a behavior "stereotypy," moms may see it as less purposeful. That can cut child control and increase adult takeover. Before you share a diagnosis, show the function of the movement—sensory, communication, or play—so families stay curious instead of closing the intention book.