Page 1 of 1 [ 4 posts ] 

TheForgetivePanda326600
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 9 May 2018
Age: 2021
Gender: Female
Posts: 11

09 May 2018, 10:41 am

Whats the deal with people saying autistic individuals lack empathy???
I actually have an extremely high level of empathy, in fact I once read about the misfortune of someone I found so severe, I obsessed for a while and it was like I was grieving for about a month!
I don't have any sympathy for people however. Nope. I just see it as a waste, something that gets in the way and holds you back in life. I rarely feel sympathy for anyone. (Except in instances like I just mentioned). I'm actually a huge empath :?



Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

09 May 2018, 2:35 pm

Many people define empathy as "kind and caring", but it's not just about that.

The way I see it, cognitive empathy is looking at what's on the outside, while emotional empathy is looking at what's on the inside. Apparently most autistics have trouble with cognitive empathy, as in not understanding body language and all that. But I believe many autistics have emotional empathy.
In my experience, emotional empathy seems to present differently in different people. Men display emotional empathy differently to women (generally speaking).

I think in this day and age the autism criteria or DSMV or whatever it is should explain empathy better, because just having "lack empathy" as part of an autism description does cause everyone to get the wrong idea.


_________________
Female


Arganger
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Apr 2018
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,707
Location: Colorado

09 May 2018, 2:50 pm

The idea stems from the idea that autistic people have bad cognitive empathy.

"Cognitive empathy is the largely conscious drive to recognize accurately and understand another's emotional state."

After looking into it I decided autistic people don't lack it anymore than a good portion of NT's. The NT is just challenged on their assumptions less.

From my experience most NT's suck at it when faced with me or another autistic.


_________________
Diagnosed autistic level 2, ODD, anxiety, dyspraxic, essential tremors, depression (Doubted), CAPD, hyper mobility syndrome
Suspected; PTSD (Treated, as my counselor did notice), possible PCOS, PMDD, Learning disabilities (Sure of it, unknown what they are), possibly something wrong with immune system (Sick about as much as I'm not) Possible EDS- hyper mobility type (Will be getting tested, suggested by doctor) dysautonomia


skibum
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,295
Location: my own little world

09 May 2018, 3:33 pm

It's because we don't express things the same way the do. They have no theory of mind so if we don't do something the exact same way they do, and they don't recognize when we are empathetic, they think we are not capable of doing it all all. And there are some Autistics who really do not feel empathy but a lot of us feel it and in enormous amounts that nts can't even comprehend.


_________________
"I'm bad and that's good. I'll never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

Wreck It Ralph