Perspective-taking is two-sided: Misunderstandings between people with Asperger's syndrome and their family members.
Brett Heasman, Alex Gillespie
PMID 28683569WHAT IT FOUND
Overall, the two groups did not misjudge each other’s ratings much, but both sides felt misunderstood.
People with Asperger's often expected family members to rate them lower, while family members sometimes overestimated their perspective-taking difficulties.
Key findings
01Both groups perceived misunderstanding, but neither group showed significant actual misunderstanding overall.
02People with Asperger's often expected family members to rate them lower than they rated themselves.
03Family members more often explained perceived misunderstanding by the other person’s perspective-taking impairment, while people with Asperger's more often reflected on themselves as a cause.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and gender-biased toward males (19:3). Most relationships were parent-child, and many were mother-son relationships, so findings may not apply to other family relationships. Participants were recruited from one charity, so they were people willing to take part and with accessible family members. Relationships with severe breakdowns were not represented. Family members were not assessed for autism traits, which could affect their perceptions. The study rated social topics, not everyday interaction, so it may not capture the full complexity of misunderstandings.
Declared interests
Funding came from a PhD studentship from the Economic and Social Research Council.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that family members are always wrong or that people with Asperger's syndrome have no perspective-taking difficulties. The study was small, recruited from one charity, and reports perceived misunderstandings and explanations, not a tested intervention effect.