The Double Empathy Problem: What Is It?
When we find someone more relatable, we have an easier time feelingempathyfor them.
When we do not find those commonalities, we struggle to experience the same level of empathy.
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With regard to theAutisticcommunity, double empathy manifests as communication and empathy breakdown between Autistics and non-Autistics.
However, this is because neurotypical standards for communication are considered the default.
When Autistic people deviate from this default, it is considered wrong even if it is simply different.
Both ND and NT people are struggling to understand and relate to each other.
The problems are bi-directional.
Autistic and non-Autistic people have vastly different experiences of the world, Dr. Alex Fox, PsyD, says.
Brian G., an Autistic adult, says Autistic people are expected to accommodate neurotypical communication styles.
I have spent my life coping with misunderstandings on both sides.
Every manager I had told me to listen more and talk less in meetings, he says.
People always said I came across as a know-it-all.
In personal communications, people said I came across as loud and bossy.
Placing the burden of adapting on theAutisticperson can be exhausting.
Autistic adult Nonya B. says she doesn’t bother talking or asking.
Most people just want to talk anyway [and] not engaging lets them think a conversation occurred.
Milton identified the tendency to assume Autistic communication deficits rather than acknowledging reciprocal breakdowns ofcommunicationbetween Autistic and non-Autistic people.
Core Concepts
The double empathy problem seeks to reframecommunication difficultiesthat many Autistic people experience.
I think it also harms Autistic people because our experiences are never centered.
All Communication Styles Are Valid
It additionally challenges the notion that common methods ofcommunicationare superior.
Different communication styles are valid even if they are not compatible with each other.
It allows reciprocal efforts for clarification.
Finally, the double empathy problem demonstrates that Autistic people are human beings regardless of communication style.
It contradicts the idea that an Autistic mind is broken and requires fixing.
Autistic advocates use the concept to express that Autistic people do, in fact, havetheoryof mind.
Forhigh-maskingindividuals, this can be exhausting.
For others, it can seem insurmountable.
Without increased education and understanding on the part of non-Autistic people, it is unlikely that this will change.
Autistics can and do miscommunicate with each other, and non-Autistics can and do miscommunicate with each other.
Some Autistic people find that the concept of double empathy does not resonate with them.
These experiences are valid and should be acknowledged.
While imperfect, the double empathy problem helps fight stigma and harmful misconceptions about Autistic experiences.
you might learn more about Dr. Milton and his work onhis website.
Milton DEM.On the ontological status of autism: the double empathy problem.Disability & Society.
2012;27(6):883-887.
Milton D, Gurbuz E, Lopez B.The double empathy problem: Ten years on.Autism.
2022;26(8):1901-1903.
Paul C. Interview with Dr. Ole Ivar Lvaas about autistic children (1974): Autism.
July 4, 2024.
Accessed October 9, 2024. https://just1voice.com/advocacy/ole-ivar-lovaas-interview-about-autism/?srsltid=AfmBOop2o3coDEhoUu4Pc6FX62pi-rnL7V6Kk62s2LtXXx2zkpesHIPY.
