Introduction
One of the most persistent myths about autism is that autistic people lack empathy.
This misconception has existed for decades and continues to influence public understanding of autism. However, modern research paints a far more nuanced picture. Rather than showing that autistic people do not experience empathy, research suggests that autistic people often experience empathy differently, may express it differently, and can experience significant difficulties when trying to understand or communicate with people who think differently from them.
In fact, many autistic individuals report experiencing emotions very deeply and feeling overwhelmed by the distress of others. Increasingly, researchers are moving away from the idea that autism involves a simple “lack of empathy” and towards a more complex understanding of how autistic and non-autistic people relate to one another.
In this article, we explore what empathy is, why autistic people have historically been viewed as lacking empathy, and what current evidence tells us about empathy in autism.
What Is Empathy?
Empathy is not a single skill. Researchers generally describe two main types of empathy:
Cognitive Empathy:
Cognitive empathy refers to understanding what another person may be thinking or feeling.
It involves:
- Interpreting facial expressions.
- Understanding social situations.
- Predicting how another person may react.
- Taking another person’s perspective.
Affective Empathy:
Affective empathy refers to sharing or responding emotionally to another person’s feelings.
For example:
- Feeling upset when someone else is upset.
- Becoming emotional when witnessing suffering.
- Experiencing joy when others are happy.
Research suggests that these two forms of empathy can operate independently. A person may struggle to identify another person’s emotions while still experiencing a strong emotional response once those feelings become apparent.
Where Did the Myth That Autistic People Lack Empathy Come From?
Historically, autism was often viewed through a deficit-based lens.
Early theories proposed that autistic people had difficulties with “Theory of Mind“—the ability to infer what other people may be thinking or feeling. These findings led many professionals and members of the public to conclude that autistic people lacked empathy altogether.
However, this was an oversimplification.
Difficulties understanding social cues do not automatically mean that someone does not care about others. A person may struggle to recognise that someone is upset while still feeling deep concern once they realise that distress is present.
Over time, researchers began noticing that many autistic individuals reported experiencing strong compassion, guilt and concern for others, challenging the stereotype that autism involves emotional coldness.
What Does Research Show?
Modern research suggests that autistic people frequently experience typical—or even heightened—levels of emotional empathy.
Some studies have found that autistic people report intense emotional responses when they become aware of another person’s distress. Others describe becoming emotionally overwhelmed by the suffering of humans, animals or even fictional characters.
What appears to differ more consistently is cognitive empathy: the ability to automatically interpret social information and infer what another person is thinking without explicit communication.
This distinction is important.
An autistic person may:
- Care deeply about others.
- Feel strong compassion.
- Become distressed when witnessing suffering.
Yet simultaneously:
- Miss subtle social cues.
- Struggle to identify unspoken emotions.
- Be unsure how to respond appropriately.
In these situations, what appears from the outside as a lack of empathy may actually reflect a difficulty recognising or interpreting social information rather than a lack of caring.
The Role of Alexithymia
One factor that has attracted increasing research interest is alexithymia.
Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying and describing emotions, including one’s own emotions.
Research suggests that alexithymia is relatively common amongst autistic people. Some researchers have argued that difficulties previously attributed to autism may actually be explained by co-occurring alexithymia.
An autistic person with alexithymia may:
- Struggle to identify how they feel.
- Find it difficult to verbalise emotions.
- Appear emotionally detached.
- Have difficulty recognising emotions in others.
Importantly, experiencing alexithymia does not mean a person lacks emotions or empathy. It simply means those emotions may be harder to identify and communicate.
Can Autistic People Be Overly Empathetic?
Many autistic adults describe experiencing what some researchers call “empathy overload.”
Instead of lacking empathy, they report feeling others’ emotions so intensely that it becomes overwhelming.
Examples include:
- Becoming deeply distressed by news reports.
- Feeling upset by the suffering of animals.
- Taking on other people’s emotions.
- Avoiding emotional situations because they are overwhelming.
Clinicians working with autistic adults commonly encounter individuals who are highly compassionate but struggle with emotional regulation when exposed to others’ distress.
This experience directly contradicts the stereotype that autistic people are unemotional or indifferent.
The Double Empathy Problem
One of the most influential developments in autism research has been the emergence of the Double Empathy Theory.
Proposed by autistic researcher Damian Milton, the theory suggests that social misunderstandings between autistic and non-autistic people are often mutual rather than one-sided.
Traditional theories suggested that autistic people struggle to understand non-autistic people because of deficits within the autistic person.
The Double Empathy Theory proposes something different:
When two people experience and interpret the world differently, both individuals may struggle to understand the other’s perspective.
Research increasingly demonstrates that communication difficulties often occur between autistic and non-autistic people in both directions. Autistic people may have difficulty understanding non-autistic communication styles, but non-autistic people often misunderstand autistic communication too.
This has shifted the conversation from:
“Autistic people lack empathy” to “Autistic and non-autistic people may communicate empathy differently.”
Why Do Autistic People Sometimes Appear Less Empathetic?
Several factors can contribute to this perception.-
Different Communication Styles:
Autistic people may express concern in practical rather than emotional ways.
For example, instead of saying:
“I’m so sorry that happened.”
They may immediately try to solve the problem.
Although intended as helpful, this can sometimes be interpreted as appearing detached.
Difficulties Reading Non-Verbal Cues:
Many emotions are communicated through subtle facial expressions, body language and tone of voice.
If these cues are missed, the autistic person may not realise support is needed.
Emotional Overwhelm:
Some autistic people become so emotionally affected by another person’s distress that they temporarily withdraw.
To an observer, this may appear uncaring, when in fact the individual is experiencing considerable emotional discomfort.
Social Anxiety:
Many autistic people worry about responding incorrectly in emotional situations.
Fear of saying the wrong thing can result in silence, which others may mistakenly interpret as a lack of empathy.
Symptoms More Characteristic of Autistic Burnout
Research has identified several features that appear more specific to autistic burnout.
Loss of Skills:
Perhaps the most important distinguishing feature is skill regression or loss of function.
Autistic adults frequently report temporarily losing abilities they previously possessed, including:
- Executive functioning skills.
- Organisation and planning abilities.
- Verbal communication.
- Social communication.
- Independent living skills.
- Emotional regulation abilities.
This loss of skills is repeatedly highlighted in burnout research and is not typically considered a core feature of depression.
Increased Sensory Sensitivity:
Autistic burnout is strongly associated with reduced tolerance for sensory input.
People may become significantly more sensitive to:
- Noise.
- Light.
- Touch.
- Smells.
- Crowded environments.
Stimuli that were previously manageable may become overwhelming.
Reduced Tolerance to Social Demand:
Many autistic people experiencing burnout report a dramatic reduction in their ability to manage social interaction.
They may find themselves:
- Unable to tolerate social gatherings.
- Unable to respond to messages.
- Needing prolonged recovery time after interactions.
- Avoiding communication due to exhaustion rather than low mood.
Increased Autistic Traits:
Research and lived experience reports suggest that autistic burnout may lead to a more visible presentation of autistic characteristics.
People may experience:
- Increased stimming.
- Greater need for routine.
- Greater sensory sensitivity.
- More obvious social communication difficulties.
- Increased need for solitude and regulation.
Clear Connection to Chronic Autistic Stressors:
Autistic burnout is often linked to long-term exposure to stressors such as:
- Masking.
- Sensory overload.
- Workplace pressures.
- Life transitions.
- Inaccessible environments.
- Lack of accommodations.
In contrast, depression may occur with or without these specific autism-related pressures.
What About Empathy Questionnaires?
We still use empathy questionnaires such as the Empathy Quotient (EQ) as part of the adult assessment process.
However, we recognise that such measures may not fully capture the complexity of empathy in autistic people, particularly differences between cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, alexithymia and communication style.
Conclusion
The idea that autistic people lack empathy is not supported by contemporary research.
While some autistic individuals may experience difficulties with aspects of cognitive empathy, social inference or interpreting non-verbal communication, many experience typical or heightened levels of emotional empathy and compassion.
Increasingly, researchers view empathy differences in autism through the lens of the Double Empathy Problem, recognising that misunderstandings between autistic and non-autistic people are often mutual rather than the result of a deficit within one individual.
Ultimately, autism does not prevent someone from caring about others. The evidence suggests that autistic people can be deeply empathetic, but they may experience, express and communicate empathy in ways that differ from non-autistic expectations. Understanding those differences is an important step towards reducing stigma and improving relationships between autistic and non-autistic people.
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