Table 5.

Categorisation of reasons provided by participants for perceived misunderstanding in the IPM.

Category	Subcategory	Definition	Illustrative Excerpts
The belief that the Other causes misunderstandings	Partial impairment in perspective-taking	Explanations which focus on narrow/restricted social understanding and perception.	FM7: He’s quite confident talking to new people. But then it does go to him talking at people. because that’s Asperger’s that’s what they are like. FM13: […] If I’m crying then he knows he has upset me but he doesn’t feel the connection. AS18 […] but she’ll just think ‘well you’re doing it in a different way than I would do it, so you’re doing it wrong, and I’ve got to sort that out’. AS14: I guess I think she sees me as being more attached to comfort zones than I necessarily am.
	Extreme impairment in perspective-taking	Explanations which focus on a complete barrier in introspection or perspective-taking with others.	FM12: He is totally dominated by himself really. FM8: I don’t think it will enter his head that I particularly think about the future. FM20: […] if he is having one of his meltdowns he doesn’t even think about the consequences of his actions. It’s just the here and now for that. FM19: I don’t think he has any idea what body language is so it probably doesn’t mean anything. AS: No Cases
The belief that the Self causes misunderstandings		Explanations where participants claim it is hard to read or imagine Others’ thoughts, or that the Self obscures being easily read by Others.	FM21: […] there are some scenarios where I don’t understand why she gets in a flap about things. FM2: Well, I don’t think he thinks I get him. And I possibly don’t get him. But I’m trying to. AS4: It’s hard to think. She doesn’t [.] it’s very difficult rating her. AS9: I’m trying to remember back over times when she does. I would say she does but sometimes I am just unreadable to her apparently.

IPM: Interpersonal Perception Method.