double empathy problem
double empathy problem noun: the phenomenon of autistic and nonautistic people mutually failing to understand each other due to cognitive differences in expressing and processing emotion.
Noun
double empathy problem (uncountable)
- The phenomenon of autistic and nonautistic people mutually failing to understand each other due to cognitive differences in expressing and processing emotion.
- Autistic people's difficulties with communication combined with the 'double empathy problem' can lead to assumptions being made by staff about the people they are teaching or supporting.2018, Michael James, Forest School and Autism: A Practical Guide, page 37
- Rather, such difficulties are reciprocal, so a 'double empathy' problem exists.2020, Karen Guldberg, Developing Excellence in Autism Practice: Making a Difference in Education, unnumbered page
Origin of double empathy problem
Coined by autism researcher Damian E. M. Milton in 2012 in a journal article.
Questions about double empathy problem
- What does double empathy problem mean?
- Double empathy problem means the phenomenon of autistic and nonautistic people mutually failing to understand each other due to cognitive differences in expressing and processing emotion.
- What part of speech is double empathy problem?
- Double empathy problem is a noun.
Words near double empathy problem in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: double empathy problem (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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