In this episode, let’s talk about Dr. Damien Milton’s theory of the Double Empathy Problem that poses the thought that not only do autistic individuals struggle to understand non-autistic individuals, it might actually work both ways.

References:

DeBrabander, K. M., Morrison, K. E., Jones, D. R., Faso, D. J., Chmielewski, M., and Sasson, N. J. 2019. Do first impressions of autistic adults differ between autistic and nonautistic observers? Autism Adulthood 1:250–7. doi: 10.1089/aut.2019.0018

Milton, D. E. M., Heasman, B., and Sheppard, E. 2020. “Double empathy,” in Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders, ed F. R. Volkmar (New York, NY: Springer). p. 1–9. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102273-2

Milton D. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: The ‘double empathy problem’. Disability and Society, 27(3), 883–887.

Sasson, N. J., Faso, D. J., Nugent, J., Lovell, S., Kennedy, D. P., and Grossman, R. B. 2017. Neurotypical peers are less willing to interact with those with autism based on thin slice judgments. Sci. Rep. 7:40700. doi: 10.1038/srep40700

Sheppard E., Pillai D., Wong G. T. L., Ropar D., Mitchell P. (2016). How easy is it to read the minds of people with autism spectrum disorder? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(4), 1247–1254.

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For more information, head over to Aspect Australia - www.autismspectrum.org.au.

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional, just a student with a passion for autism.

I acknowledge the Cadigal people who are the traditional custodians of the land I walk and learn on. I pay respects to the elders past, present and emerging.