Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Typically Perceive Their Empathetic Abilities Uniquely

In a groundbreaking study published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology in 2025, researchers Smith, Johnson, Lee, Campbell-Templeton, Branney, and Mitchell sought to explore how autistic individuals perceive themselves in the context of empathy. The study, titled "Exploring Self-Perceptions of Empathy in Autism," aimed to shed light on a critical piece of the discussion: lived experience.

The research, which recruited 100 participants evenly divided between autistic and non-autistic groups, with equal numbers of men and women, found that autistic participants gave lower average ratings for empathy (around 6 out of 10) compared to non-autistic participants (around 8 out of 10). However, the study's findings challenge the simplistic notion that autistic people lack empathy.

Autistic participants more often noted difficulties with recognizing subtle emotions, but their written justifications for their empathy scores showed similarities to non-autistic participants in recognizing and sharing others' emotions. Many participants from both groups reported strong affective empathy, feeling others' sadness or distress as if it were their own.

Interestingly, the study echoes the "Double Empathy Problem," a theory that misunderstandings between autistic and non-autistic people are mutual rather than one-sided. Both groups expressed a desire to help others, but autistic participants more frequently reported uncertainty about how to respond in socially expected ways.

Internalized stigma and stereotypes could play a role in why autistic participants rated themselves lower, even when their descriptions showed empathy in practice. The study suggests that the lower empathy scores given by autistic participants may be influenced by societal stereotypes as much as personal experience.

The study is one of the first to place autistic voices at the centre of the question, rather than relying solely on experimental tasks or the perspectives of relatives. By asking participants to complete ten "I am..." statements to describe themselves and then rate their own empathy on a scale from 0 to 10, providing explanations for their scores, the researchers aimed to delve deeper into the subjective experiences of autistic individuals.

The research highlights the importance of including autistic voices directly in psychological studies. As the study's authors note, understanding empathy from the perspective of those who live with autism is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and empathetic society. Autistic participants, for instance, described empathy as a skill they had worked to develop over time.

In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the complexities of empathy in autism and challenges common misconceptions. By placing autistic voices at the centre of the discussion, we can work towards a better understanding of empathy in autism and create a more inclusive society for all.