En este artículo se dan argumentos para la hipótesis de que los niños autistas tienen una física intuitiva intacta e incluso poseen una facilidad especial para comprender la causalidad física. En su apoyo se presentan datos, procedentes de distintas fuentes, como: (1) lapredilección de los niños autistas por los sistemas mecánicos o sus intereses obsesivos por las máquinas, recogidos de anécdotas clínicas e informes de padres, (2) su mejor rendimiento en algunas tareas de causalidad física en comparación con tareas de causalidad psicológica con una estructura paralela y (3) una mayor probabilidad de encontrar físicos o ingenieros entre los padres o abuelos de niños con autismo que en la población normal, revelada por los etudios de familia. Se argumenta también que el perfil cognitivo atípico de una facilidad especial para la física intuitiva junto con una deficiencia en la psicología intuitive puede tener un origen genético. Por último, se señala la contribución de esta hipótesis al debate actual entre la explicación del autismo como deficencia de una teoría de la mente o como una disfunción ejecutiva.
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