The role of Theory of Mind (ToM) in facial recognition of Chinese children with dyslexia

This study investigates facial recognition and the role of theory of mind in Chinese children with dyslexia, addressing a significant gap in research on nonalphabetic dyslexia. Participants were 174 children (85 with dyslexia, 89 typically developing) in Grades 4–6 in Taiwan. Facial recognition, theory of mind, and visual perception were assessed using standardized tests and a researcher-made task. Results revealed that children with dyslexia performed significantly worse on facial recognition tasks than their typically developing peers, even when controlling for visual perception. Furthermore, visual perception emerged as a strong predictor of facial recognition in both groups. Theory of mind also associated significantly with facial recognition, but only for the dyslexia group. These findings underscore the importance of the role social-cognitive skills play in visual perception for this population. The findings suggest that interventions for Chinese children with dyslexia should address both visual and social-cognitive skills to improve facial recognition and social interactions. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s).