The weirdest autism test ever created

from It’s just AuDHD Hosted by John Blanco-Slingerland, Tarah Peltz

Can you diagnose autism by looking at pictures of eyes? That's the theory behind the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), which was recently featured in Season 2 of 'The Rehearsal'. But this autism assessment has a wild history, and its origins are convoluted enough to make Nathan Fielder blush. Today, we're breaking down the story of how the RMET was developed and whether the results are clinically relevant. We also explore the broader implications of Theory of Mind assessments that researchers love to give to autistic people. This episode has random magazine clippings, animated triangle families, bad doodles, and more. Tune in to see how all these pieces of the puzzle fit together! References: Free online RMET assessment Theory of Mind Overview Basic Emotions Test Animated Triangles Test Diverse Desire and Beliefs Test (Yoni Test) False Beliefs Test (Sally Anne Test) Criticisms of the Theory of Mind tests Even more criticisms of the Theory of Mind Tests History and criticisms of the RMET 00:00 Introduction 00:09 The RMET and Autism Representation 02:53 Origins and Validity of the RMET 04:07 Theory of Mind and Autism 05:10 Administering Theory of Mind Tests 13:01 Cultural and Subjective Influences on Theory of Mind 14:41 Testing Theory of Mind with Animated Triangles 23:03 Diverse Desires and Hidden Feelings 28:59 False Beliefs and Hidden Feelings Tests 34:03 Critique of Autism Research 34:53 Validity of Autism Tests 37:22 Language Dexterity as a Theory of Mind predictor 39:16 Issues with Autism Testing 42:16 The RMET: Origins and Issues 48:50 Criticism of Simon Baron-Cohen's Work 01:04:19 Alternative Approaches to Autism Testing 01:06:50 Personal Experiences and Reflections 01:09:00 Discussing the Clinical Evaluation Process 01:09:11 Reflecting on the Exhausting Nature of Tests 01:09:27 Upcoming Episode on Eating Disorders and Neurodivergence 01:09:27 Personal Reflections on Test Performance 01:10:25 Questioning the Validity of the Test 01:10:40 Conclusion and Future Plans

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The weirdest autism test ever created

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This episode is 1 hour and 11 minutes long.

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This episode was published on July 27, 2025.

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