Theory of Mind--based action in children from the autism spectrum.

The team gave false-belief puzzles to two groups of children. One group had PDD-NOS. The other group had autism.

Half of each group could earn a small prize for every right answer. The rest just played for free.

The researchers counted how often each child fixed the false belief when a reward was on the line.

Kids with PDD-NOS got more answers right when they could win a prize. Kids with autism scored the same whether or not a reward was offered.

The result shows that a simple prize can unlock perspective-taking skills in some children on the spectrum, but not in others.

Schuwerk et al. (2015) later showed that a quick peek at the right answer also boosts implicit false-belief eye gaze in adults with ASD. Both studies say the same thing: outside help—money or feedback—can wake up sleepy mind-reading skills.

Burnside et al. (2017) looked at preschoolers who ignored faces and moving people. Those kids also failed implicit false-belief tests. The pair of papers links lack of social interest to poor perspective taking, and both hint that extra motivation might bridge the gap.

Begeer et al. (2015) ran a short teaching game after seeing these reward data. The game helped older children pass false-belief tests, but the gains stayed in the classroom. The RCT confirms that motivation works, yet reminds us that real-life social behavior needs more than points and stickers.

If you work with children who have PDD-NOS or mild autism, try adding a tiny prize for correct perspective-taking answers. A sticker, token, or point can be enough to turn a wrong answer into a right one. Keep the reward small and deliver it right away. For children with classic autism, the same prize may not help, so pair the task with extra teaching or visual cues instead. Track who perks up with rewards and who needs a different plan.