Non-autistic observers both detect and demonstrate the double empathy problem when evaluating interactions between autistic and non-autistic adults.
Desiree R Jones, Monique Botha, Robert A Ackerman and 2 others
PMID 38149622WHAT IT FOUND
Non-autistic observers rated mixed conversations less smooth and enjoyable than non-autistic conversations, but not autistic conversations.
They still judged autistic participants more negatively. The pattern points to a relational mismatch rather than a one-sided deficit.
Key findings
01Non-autistic observers rated non-autistic/non-autistic conversations smoother and more enjoyable than mixed autistic/non-autistic conversations, and did not rate autistic/autistic conversations differently from non-autistic/non-autistic conversations.
02Observers rated autistic participants as more awkward and less attractive, trustworthy, likable, and intelligent than non-autistic participants, and reported less social interest in autistic participants.
03Observers reported less social interest in interaction participants than the participants themselves did, and this difference was larger when the participant was autistic.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 86 of the original 125 interaction participants were included because only consented videos were used. The sample was not representative: interaction participants were all male, largely White, and highly educated; observers were mostly female psychology students at a university with a large autistic population. Observers' familiarity with autism may have reduced bias, so results may be conservative. The study used single rating items and forced-choice responses, which can increase measurement error. It was not designed to test whether direct contact reduces stigma.
Declared interests
Funding was provided in part by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Autism Grant Program.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that autistic people are inherently poor conversationalists. Observers did not rate autistic/autistic conversations lower than non-autistic/non-autistic conversations; they rated mixed conversations lower than non-autistic/non-autistic conversations.