Definition
The double empathy problem, theorized by Dr. Damian Milton, proposes that the social communication difficulties between autistic and non-autistic people are mutual. Non-autistic people also have difficulty understanding autistic social cues, facial expressions, and communication styles. The 'problem' is not in autistic people, it is in the mismatch.
Why It Matters
This reframes autism from a social deficit to a difference in social styles. Milton set out the idea in a 2012 paper, and a 2020 study by Crompton and colleagues supports it: autistic people passed information to other autistic people as well as non-autistic people did with each other, while mixed autistic and non-autistic groups shared much less information and reported lower rapport.
Common Misconception
Autistic people do not lack empathy. Many are highly empathic. The double empathy problem explains social friction without placing the deficit exclusively in the autistic person.