Elaborating on the Double Empathy Problem: An Essay on the Compatibility of Neurotypicality and Autism

In the essay Elaborating on the Double Empathy Problem - An Essay on the Compatibility of Neurotypicality and Autism Pia Hämäläinen (BA), an autistic theorist, discusses various perspectives related to the double empathy problem, a term coined by Damian Milton in 2012. According to Milton, communication challenges are a two-way street concerning the perspective taking of both neurotypical and autistic individuals. Proceeding from presenting state of the art of research on the double empathy problem, Hämäläinen discusses various perspectives relevant to the issue including, among others, the dynamics of autism, the structure of the autistic self, different kinds of empathy, pattern seeking as it relates to traditional vs. process philosophy, and the phenomenon of prediction. Hämäläinen shares her ideas for possible solutions of the problem and concludes the essay with a consideration of the roles of inclusion, equity, and economy as they relate to solving the double empathy problem.

Keywords: In Bezug auf Menschen mit sichtbaren oder verborgenen Behinderungen oder Beeinträchtigungen, autism spectrum conditions, inclusion, equity and economy, the double empathy problem, cultural compatibility, neurotypicality and neurodivergence