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The double empathy problem, camouflage, and the value of expertise from experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 July 2019

Peter Mitchell
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. [email protected]@[email protected]://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/peter.mitchellhttps://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/sarah.cassidyhttps://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/elizabeth.sheppard
Sarah Cassidy
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. [email protected]@[email protected]://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/peter.mitchellhttps://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/sarah.cassidyhttps://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/elizabeth.sheppard
Elizabeth Sheppard
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. [email protected]@[email protected]://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/peter.mitchellhttps://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/sarah.cassidyhttps://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/people/elizabeth.sheppard

Abstract

To understand why autistic people are misperceived in the way Jaswal & Akhtar suggest, we should embrace concepts like the “double empathy problem” and camouflaging and recognize the negative consequences these have for mental health in autism. Moreover, we need to value expertise from experience so that autistic people have a voice and indeed a stake in research into autism.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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