Uta Frith
University College London
Dame Uta Frith is a German-British developmental psychologist and emeritus professor in cognitive development at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London (UCL). She pioneered much of the current research into autism and dyslexia. Her book Autism: Explaining the Enigma introduced the cognitive neuroscience of autism. She is credited with creating the Sally–Anne test along with fellow scientists Alan Leslie and Simon Baron-Cohen. Among students she has mentored are Tony
Read biography ↓Biography, research & contributions
Dame Uta Frith is a German-British developmental psychologist and emeritus professor in cognitive development at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London (UCL). She pioneered much of the current research into autism and dyslexia. Her book Autism: Explaining the Enigma introduced the cognitive neuroscience of autism. She is credited with creating the Sally–Anne test along with fellow scientists Alan Leslie and Simon Baron-Cohen. Among students she has mentored are Tony Attwood, Maggie Snowling, Simon Baron-Cohen and Francesca Happé.
Affiliation
University College London
Top Publications
- Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind” ? (1985) - 8,648 citations
- Theory of mind (2005) - 3,493 citations
- The Weak Coherence Account: Detail-focused Cognitive Style in Autism Spectrum Disorders (2006) - 2,923 citations
- Autism: Explaining the Enigma (1989) - 2,558 citations
- Development and neurophysiology of mentalizing (2003) - 2,336 citations
At a glance
- Full name
- Uta Frith
- ORCID
- 0000-0002-9063-4466
- OpenAlex ID
- https://openalex.org/A5081168727
Research interests
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research, Child and Animal Learning Development, Reading and Literacy Development, Action Observation and Synchronization, Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
Research topics
Education
Not yet documented in this profile.
Selected research & further reading
A curated reading list, not a ranking by citation count. References use DOI metadata, matching public scholarly records or authoritative lecture sources.
See the source-linked reading and original works in the research guide above.
Citation & publication trends
Annual counts are not yet available from a verified author record. Explore the research guide above for the work itself; publication and citation totals depend on database coverage.
Source: OpenAlex · Retrieved 2026-10-07. Metrics are database-specific and are not a scientific ranking.
Most-cited linked publications
Publications matched across ORCID and OpenAlex. Citation counts are source-specific.
- Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind” ? ↗1985 · Cognition8,648OpenAlex citations
- Theory of mind ↗2005 · Current Biology3,493OpenAlex citations
- The Weak Coherence Account: Detail-focused Cognitive Style in Autism Spectrum Disorders ↗2006 · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders2,923OpenAlex citations
- Autism: Explaining the Enigma ↗1989 · UCL Discovery (University College London)2,558OpenAlex citations
- Development and neurophysiology of mentalizing ↗2003 · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences2,336OpenAlex citations
Recent linked publications
Publications matched across ORCID and OpenAlex. Citation counts are source-specific.
- Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind” ? ↗1985 · Cognition
- Theory of mind ↗2005 · Current Biology
- The Weak Coherence Account: Detail-focused Cognitive Style in Autism Spectrum Disorders ↗2006 · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Autism: Explaining the Enigma ↗1989 · UCL Discovery (University College London)
- Development and neurophysiology of mentalizing ↗2003 · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
Journals published in
No verified record links added yet.
Related publishers
No verified record links added yet.
Institutions
Current verified institution
No verified record links added yet.
Previous institutions
No verified record links added yet.
Awards & honors
Not yet documented in this profile.
Career timeline
Not yet documented in this profile.
Co-authors
No verified record links added yet.
Education & career institution links
No verified record links added yet.
Claim & manage this profile
Are you this researcher? Sign in, provide identity evidence, and request administrator approval. Editing becomes available only after approval.
Sign in to claim this profileSources & data information
Editorial review: 2026-10-07 · Last data update: 2026-10-07 21:47:10
Unknown values are left blank. Linked publications may be a subset of total works. Identity verification, data retrieval and profile ownership are separate checks.