Do Autistic Children Have Empathy? Perspectives From Non-Autistic Perceivers and the Role of Their Understanding About Autism

Purpose In contrast to the deficit-based approach, the double empathy problem (DEP) theory asserts that empathy functions bidirectionally, with interaction challenges stemming from differing expectations across individuals. This study aimed to examine how non-autistic individuals interpret the reactions of autistic and non-autistic children. Methods We provided 61 non-autistic adult perceivers with 301 transcripts of speech substance from 82 autistic and non-autistic children, who answered questions evaluating cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and proposed responses across various emotional states. Adult perceivers rated children’s responses on a scale of 1–5 (from lowest to highest) about the child’s ability to understand emotions, empathize with those emotions, and suggest suitable prosocial responses. Their understanding of autism, autism-related traits, and previous interactions with autistic individuals were also examined. Results Our findings indicated adults assigned lower ratings to the empathetic responses of autistic children compared to those of non-autistic children. Individuals with a deeper understanding of autism, grounded in the medical paradigm, demonstrated a more pronounced disparity in their evaluations of autistic versus non-autistic responses. Conclusion The studies indicate that autistic individuals may exhibit different empathy responses compared to their non-autistic counterparts, and these may be misinterpreted by non-autistic individuals, particularly by those who adhere to a deficit-based medical model.