Abstract: Theory of Executive Dysfunction, Weak Central Coherence theory and Theory of Mind, were three important theories which interpreted cognitive disorders of Autism. In this paper, by reviewing several previous studies, we explored the emergence, development and the trends of the three kinds of theories. These theories illustrated the mechanisms of cognitive disorders of Autism from different aspects. It required further study about how to reveal synthetically the cognitive and pathological mechanism of autism. Meanwhile, the interaction of different cognitive factors and ecological validity of research may be further issues to be considered.

Key words: autism, cognitive disorder, theory of mind, executive function, weak central coherence