Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have impairments in social interaction, communicative capacity, and behavioral flexibility (core triad). Three major cognitive theories (theory of mind deficit, weak central coherence, and executive dysfunction) seem to explain many of these impairments. Currently, however, the empathizing-systemizing (a newer version of the theory of mind deficit account) and mnesic imbalance theories are the only ones that attempt to explain all these core triadic symptoms of ASD On the other hand, theory of mind deficit in empathizing-systemizing theory is the most influential account for ASD, but its counterpart in the mnesic imbalance theory, faulty procedural memory, seems to occur earlier in development; consequently, this might be a better solution to the problem of the etiology of ASD, if it truly meets the precedence criterion. Hence, in the present paper I review the reasoning in favor of the theory of mind deficit but with a new interpretation based on the mnesic imbalance theory, which posits that faulty procedural memory causes deficits in several cognitive skills, resulting in poor performance in theory of mind tasks. 1. Introduction Autistic disorder is characterized by impairments in reciprocal social interaction, communicative capacity, and repetitive patterns of behavior (core triad) [1]. The term autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which has been used by some mental health professionals as a synonym of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) [2], implies that these impairments are shared among autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) [3]. However, considering that the diagnosis of PDD-NOS does not require the presence of the three diagnostic domains of the autistic triad (social interaction, communicative capacity and behavioral flexibility), the inclusion of PDD-NOS as an ASD has been questioned [4]. This observation is important because it is hard, if not impossible, to make a cognitive theory on disorders that do not share clinical and etiological features [5]. Consequently, I use the term ASD throughout this work to refer to the group comprised only by autistic disorder and Asperger’s syndrome, whereas both disorders are mentioned separately when they are not forming a group in some mentioned study in this text. On the other hand, when Kanner provided the first clinical description of autistic disorder, he also wrote “Their excellent rote memory… It is difficult to know for certain whether the stuffing as such has contributed
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