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[[File:Double empathy problem image.jpg|thumb|Both autistic and non-autistic people can find it difficult to empathize with each other. The fact that both people in the interaction have trouble understanding and empathizing is why the theory is called the "double empathy problem".<ref name=":25">{{Cite journal |last1=Crompton |first1=Catherine J. |last2=DeBrabander |first2=Kilee |last3=Heasman |first3=Brett |last4=Milton |first4=Damian |last5=Sasson |first5=Noah J. |date=2021-05-11 |title=Double Empathy: Why Autistic People Are Often Misunderstood |journal=[[Frontiers for Young Minds]] |volume=9 |pages=554875 |doi=10.3389/frym.2021.554875 |issn=2296-6846 |doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11820/94ee032a-6103-470a-bc06-08337dd6b512 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>]]
{{Autism rights movement}}
The [[theory]] of the '''double empathy problem''' is a [[psychology|psychological]] and [[sociology|sociological]] theory first coined in 2012 by [[Damian Milton]], an [[autistic]] autism researcher.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Milton |first=Damian E. M. |date=October 2012 |title=On the ontological status of autism: the 'double empathy problem' |url=http://kar.kent.ac.uk/62639/1/Double%20empathy%20problem.pdf |journal=[[Disability & Society]] |language=en |volume=27 |issue=6 |pages=883–887 |doi=10.1080/09687599.2012.710008 |issn=0968-7599 |s2cid=54047060}}</ref> This theory proposes that many of the difficulties autistic individuals face when [[Social relation|socializing]] with non-autistic individuals are due, in part, to a lack of mutual [[understanding]] between the two groups, meaning that most autistic people struggle to understand and [[Empathy|empathize]] with non-autistic people, whereas most non-autistic people also struggle to understand and empathize with autistic people. This lack of understanding may stem from bidirectional differences in [[disposition]]s (e.g., [[communication]] style, [[Social cognitive theory|social-cognitive]] characteristics), and [[experience]]s between autistic and non-autistic individuals, as opposed to always being an inherent deficiency.<ref name=":49">{{Cite journal |last=Lam |first=Chun Fung |date=2024-01-05 |title=Conform or be ostracised: restricted and repetitive behaviours in non-autistic persons |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2300955 |journal=Disability & Society |language=en |volume=39 |issue=8 |pages=2166–2171 |doi=10.1080/09687599.2023.2300955 |issn=0968-7599 |s2cid=266805037}}</ref> Studies from the 2010s and 2020s have shown that most autistic individuals are able to socialize, communicate effectively,<ref name=":2">{{cite journal |last1=Crompton |first1=Catherine J. |last2=Ropar |first2=Danielle |last3=Evans-Williams |first3=Claire V. M. |last4=Flynn |first4=Emma G. |last5=Fletcher-Watson |first5=Sue |year=2020 |title=Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective |journal=[[Autism (journal)|Autism]] |volume=24 |issue=7 |pages=1704–1712 |doi=10.1177/1362361320919286 |pmc=7545656 |pmid=32431157}}</ref> empathize well or build good rapport,<ref name=":33">{{Cite journal |last1=Sheppard |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Webb |first2=Sophie |last3=Wilkinson |first3=Helen |date=2023-11-18 |title=Mindreading beliefs in same- and cross-neurotype interactions |journal=Autism |volume=28 |issue=7 |pages=1828–1837 |language=en |doi=10.1177/13623613231211457 |issn=1362-3613|doi-access=free |pmid=37978869 |pmc=11191369 }}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite journal |last1=Szechy |first1=Kathryn A. |last2=Turk |first2=Pamela D. |last3=O'Donnell |first3=Lisa A. |date=2023-08-17 |title=Autism and Employment Challenges: The Double Empathy Problem and Perceptions of an Autistic Employee in the Workplace |url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2023.0046 |journal=Autism in Adulthood |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=205–217 |doi=10.1089/aut.2023.0046 |pmid=39139509 |pmc=11317796 |pmc-embargo-date=June 17, 2025 |s2cid=260998172 |issn=2573-9581|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":39">{{Cite journal |last1=Komeda |first1=Hidetsugu |last2=Kosaka |first2=Hirotaka |last3=Saito |first3=Daisuke N. |last4=Mano |first4=Yoko |last5=Jung |first5=Minyoung |last6=Fujii |first6=Takeshi |last7=Yanaka |first7=Hisakazu T. |last8=Munesue |first8=Toshio |last9=Ishitobi |first9=Makoto |last10=Sato |first10=Makoto |last11=Okazawa |first11=Hidehiko |date=2014-10-20 |title=Autistic empathy toward autistic others |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsu126 |journal=[[Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=145–152 |doi=10.1093/scan/nsu126 |issn=1749-5016 |pmc=4321632 |pmid=25332405}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Komeda |first1=Hidetsugu |last2=Kosaka |first2=Hirotaka |last3=Fujioka |first3=Toru |last4=Jung |first4=Minyoung |last5=Okazawa |first5=Hidehiko |date=2019-06-04 |title=Do Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders Help Other People With Autism Spectrum Disorders? An Investigation of Empathy and Helping Motivation in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder |journal=[[Frontiers in Psychiatry]] |volume=10 |pages=376 |doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00376 |issn=1664-0640 |pmc=6558937 |pmid=31231254 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite journal |last1=Crompton |first1=Catherine J. |last2=Sharp |first2=Martha |last3=Axbey |first3=Harriet |last4=Fletcher-Watson |first4=Sue |last5=Flynn |first5=Emma G. |last6=Ropar |first6=Danielle |year=2020 |title=Neurotype-Matching, but Not Being Autistic, Influences Self and Observer Ratings of Interpersonal Rapport |journal=[[Frontiers in Psychology]] |volume=11 |page=586171 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586171 |pmc=7645034 |pmid=33192918 |doi-access=free}}</ref> and display [[Reciprocity (social psychology)|social reciprocity]]<ref name=":4">{{cite journal | doi=10.1177/13623613211005918 | title=Peer preferences and characteristics of same-group and cross-group social interactions among autistic and non-autistic adolescents | year=2021 | last1=Chen | first1=Yu-Lun | last2=Senande | first2=Laura L. | last3=Thorsen | first3=Michael | last4=Patten | first4=Kristie | journal=Autism | volume=25 | issue=7 | pages=1885–1900 | pmid=34169757 | pmc=8419288 }}</ref> with most other autistic individuals.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=DeThorne |first=Laura S. |date=2020-03-01 |title=Revealing the Double Empathy Problem |journal=The ASHA Leader |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=58–65 |language=EN |doi=10.1044/leader.ftr2.25042020.58|s2cid=216359201 |doi-access=free }}</ref> A 2024 systematic review has found that most autistic people have mostly pleasant experiences interacting with most autistic people, and autistic-autistic interactions were generally associated with better quality of life across various domains.<ref name=":50">{{Cite journal |last=Watts |first=Georgina |last2=Crompton |first2=Catherine |last3=Grainger |first3=Catherine |last4=Long |first4=Joseph |last5=Botha |first5=Monique |last6=Somerville |first6=Mark |last7=Cage |first7=Eilidh |date=2024-06-03 |title=‘A certain magic’ – autistic adults’ experiences of interacting with other autistic people and its relation to Quality of Life: A systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613241255811 |journal=Autism |language=en |doi=10.1177/13623613241255811 |issn=1362-3613}}</ref> This theory and subsequent findings challenge the commonly held belief that the [[social skills]] of all autistic individuals are inherently and universally impaired across contexts, as well as the theory of "[[mind-blindness]]" proposed by prominent autism researcher [[Simon Baron-Cohen]] in the mid-1990s, which suggested that empathy and [[theory of mind]] are universally [[Empathy#Impairment|impaired in autistic individuals]].<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":41">{{Cite journal |last=Boucher |first=Jill |date=2012 |title=Putting theory of mind in its place: psychological explanations of the socio-emotional-communicative impairments in autistic spectrum disorder |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1362361311430403 |journal=Autism |language=en |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=226–246 |doi=10.1177/1362361311430403 |issn=1362-3613 |pmid=22297199 |s2cid=30738704|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite journal |last=Shanker |first=Stuart |date=2004-10-01 |title=The Roots of Mindblindness |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0959354304046179 |journal=[[Theory & Psychology]] |language=en |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=685–703 |doi=10.1177/0959354304046179 |issn=0959-3543 |s2cid=143801835|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
The double empathy concept and related concepts such as bidirectional social interaction have been supported by a substantial number of studies in the 2010s and 2020s, and have the potential to shift goals of [[Intervention (counseling)|interventions]] and public [[psychoeducation]] or [[Social stigma|stigma]] reduction regarding autism.<ref name=":49" /><ref name=":50" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Scheerer |first1=Nichole E. |last2=Ng |first2=Catalina Sau Man |last3=Gurba |first3=Ava N. |last4=McNair |first4=Morgan L. |last5=Lerner |first5=Matthew D. |last6=Hargreaves |first6=April |date=2024-12-04 |title=Editorial: Break the stigma: autism |journal=Frontiers in Psychiatry |language=English |volume=15 |doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1513447 |doi-access=free |issn=1664-0640}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pearson |first1=Amy |last2=Surtees |first2=Andrew |last3=Crompton |first3=Catherine J. |last4=Goodall |first4=Craig |last5=Pillai |first5=Dhanya |last6=Sedgewick |first6=Felicity |last7=Au-Yeung |first7=Sheena K. |date=2022-09-27 |title=Editorial: Addressing community priorities in autism research |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |volume=13 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1040446 |doi-access=free |issn=1664-1078 |pmc=9552333 |pmid=36237673}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schuck |first1=Rachel K. |last2=Fung |first2=Lawrence K. |date=2024-01-10 |title=A dual design thinking – universal design approach to catalyze neurodiversity advocacy through collaboration among high-schoolers |journal=Frontiers in Psychiatry |volume=14 |doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1250895 |doi-access=free |issn=1664-0640 |pmc=10806093 |pmid=38268559}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schuck |first1=Rachel K. |last2=Geng |first2=Alicia |last3=Doss |first3=Yvette |last4=Lin |first4=Florence |last5=Crousore |first5=Hannah |last6=Baiden |first6=Kaitlynn M. P. |last7=Dwyer |first7=Patrick |last8=Williams |first8=Zachary J. |last9=Wang |first9=Mian |date=2024-08-08 |title=A qualitative investigation into autistic adults' perspectives on intervention goals for autistic children |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27546330241266718 |journal=Neurodiversity |language=en |volume=2 |doi=10.1177/27546330241266718 |issn=2754-6330}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hull |first1=Laura |last2=Rane |first2=Shravani |last3=Lee |first3=Samman Hang-Lai |last4=Sedgewick |first4=Felicity |date=2024-03-22 |title="Just Ask What Support We Need": Autistic Adults' Feedback on Social Skills Training |url=https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2023.0136 |journal=Autism in Adulthood |language=en |doi=10.1089/aut.2023.0136 |issn=2573-9581}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Gernsbacher |first1=Morton Ann |last2=Yergeau |first2=Melanie |date=2019 |title=Empirical Failures of the Claim That Autistic People Lack a Theory of Mind |journal=[[Archives of Scientific Psychology]] |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=102–118 |doi=10.1037/arc0000067 |pmc=6959478 |pmid=31938672}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Milton |first=Damian |date=2018-03-02 |title=The double empathy problem |url=https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/double-empathy |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=[[National Autistic Society]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last1=Milton |first1=Damian |last2=Gurbuz |first2=Emine |last3=López |first3=Beatriz |date=October 2022 |title=The 'double empathy problem': Ten years on |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613221129123 |journal=Autism |language=en |volume=26 |issue=8 |pages=1901–1903 |doi=10.1177/13623613221129123 |issn=1362-3613 |pmid=36263746 |s2cid=253020669|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In recognition of the findings that support the theory of the double empathy problem, Baron-Cohen positively recognized the theory in two research articles in 2018<ref name=":27">{{Cite journal |last1=Cassidy |first1=Sarah |last2=Bradley |first2=Louise |last3=Shaw |first3=Rebecca |last4=Baron-Cohen |first4=Simon |date=2018-07-31 |title=Risk markers for suicidality in autistic adults |journal=[[Molecular Autism]] |language=en |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=42 |doi=10.1186/s13229-018-0226-4 |issn=2040-2392 |pmc=6069847 |pmid=30083306 |doi-access=free }}</ref> and 2022,<ref name=":28">{{Cite journal |last1=Richards |first1=Gareth |last2=Baron-Cohen |first2=Simon |date=2022-05-19 |title=Evidence of partner similarity for autistic traits, systemizing, and theory of mind via facial expressions |url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11592-z |journal=[[Scientific Reports]] |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=8451 |bibcode=2022NatSR..12.8451R |doi=10.1038/s41598-022-11592-z |pmc=9118825 |pmid=35589769}}</ref> as well as in multiple podcasts since 2020.<ref name=":26">{{cite web |date=2020-12-19 |title=A Conversation About 'The Pattern Seekers' by Simon Baron-Cohen |url=https://thinkingautismguide.com/2020/12/a-conversation-about-pattern-seekers-by.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Robert |last2=Baron-Cohen |first2=Simon |date=2023-06-21 |title=Autism and the Two Kinds of Empathy |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkHbsC2lsAA |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
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