Double empathy problem

A theory proposed by Damian Milton (2012) that reframes communication difficulties between autistic and neurotypical individuals as arising from a mutual lack of understanding rather than a deficit in autistic people alone. The double empathy problem challenges the dominant narrative that autistic people lack empathy or social skills, instead arguing that both neurotypes struggle to understand each other's distinct communication styles, emotional expressions, and social conventions. Research supports this bidirectionality: neurotypical people are equally poor at reading autistic people's emotions and intentions as autistic people are at reading theirs. This theory has significant implications for intervention design, suggesting that efforts to bridge communication gaps should target both sides rather than training autistic individuals to conform to neurotypical norms.