Princess Ariel Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I saw this article today on Facebook and I think it sounds like it may be true for one of my dc. Does anyone have thoughts on this perspective? It certainly gives me a new way of looking at things and how my dc reacts to situations and how I may have interpreted the response incorrectly. http://seventhvoice.wordpress.com/2013/11/16/new-study-finds-that-individuals-with-aspergers-syndrome-dont-lack-empathy-in-fact-if-anything-they-empathize-too-much/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Need to look at this again later. Didn't want to forget so I am posting.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SporkUK Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 As an autistic parent with autistic children, I agree with what is written. It is something other autistic adults and I have talked about for a while and I'm glad it is starting to get more acceptance in the mainstream conversation. Personally, I do easily get overwhelmed by other people feelings - even fictional people in stories. I get awful second hand embarrassment while watching TV, I squirm and cover my face even though I know it is just a story I get overwhelmed with how embarrassed they are and how embarrassed I would feel in their situations. Empathy I think should be divided into 3 groups: affective (sharing what another person is feeling), compassionate (desire to help others even if we don't know how) and cognitive (predict other people thoughts and intentions by reading between the lines). I find that the first two can override my own senses and cognitive empathy, especially with people I don't know well. I very much feel what others feel and I want to help, but the issue with predicting other people's thoughts, needs, intentions makes it far harder to know how to so with people I know well I've learned to ask what they want when X happens just as I would want people to ask me what I want before I have a shutdown or something. But asking can be quite difficult for a lot of people and asking well is a tool I'm still learning as I teach my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 As an autistic individual, I am always amused by "new" or "groundbreaking" theories that discuss things that have been old news among autistics for decades now. When it's with regards to empathy, just double that reaction. They could've come across this huge new conception twenty years ago if they'd hung out on any aspie forum or messageboard. But that'd require common sense and, well, an understanding that other people have their own individual thoughts and motivations. LOL, I remember reading once about an autistic kid who "randomly" covered his ears for "no reason" in class. They did a lot of work and brought in experts to figure out why he'd engage in this distressing behavior, and finally figured out that... he covered his ears when the class next door was being noisy. And they say it's us who lack empathy and "theory of mind"! Not that this is on you, OP. When you learn better, you do better. But researchers and experts sometimes... bah! Humbugs, the lot of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I agree with the article. My ds had his testing done yesterday but the neuropsych let me know her suspicions of aspergers prior to this. There is some much information out there on aspergers that it can be downright confusing. The different ideas on empathy in particular is extremely confusing and almost contradictory. My ds has empathy for others, for animals, cries when someone is mistreated in movies, etc. He seems to feel things even more deeply than his brothers. This alone made me think that there is "no way" my boy had aspergers. On the other hand, he has "rigidity of thinking", where he cannot see things as wrong, if he know they are right, or vice versa. He was in class at coop and we decided to "audit" because I felt the class was too difficult for him. He downright refused to comply when the teacher asked him to open his book so he could at least following along with the class. He kept repeating, "but I am only auditing, so I don't need to open the book". Empathy almost sees like the wrong word to use in this case. It is misleading because it seems to imply the person has no feelings of compassion. I agree with pp, it needs to be separated into 3 groups. If I had not had contradictory info in the first place, I would not have waited as long as I did to get him evaluated. I should have know better. :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Ariel Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 I think individuals are going to look at this information differently, depending upon whether or not they are on the spectrum. It can be helpful to know for those of us who are not autistic. I see things differently with my dc who are diagnosed on the spectrum and I think it brings me to a better understanding of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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