16 Results in empathy

Do females with ASD cope better than males?

I was once asked by a journalist whether I thought females with ASD "coped" better with their condition than males. My answer was no. I think some females cope differently and certainly many do not 'cope' at all. One interesting point that is relevant here is that, generally, males are diagnosed with ASD much younger than females. What is often the case is that lots of young boys are diagnosed, but lots of young girls are not. Indeed, I'd say 'most' females aren't diagnosed until adolescence and beyond (and it's very common for them to be diagnosed well into adulthood). If females are not diagnosed until adulthood then one conclusion you might come to is that it "means they must cope better."

Meltdowns in public – what to do?

Meltdowns are quite common for people with autism. They are not exclusive to children, even adults can have meltdowns. Depending on coping mechanisms and the individual themselves, a meltdown for one person will look different to another. A meltdown can include: hitting, crying, shouting, being verbally aggressive… etc. Recognising a meltdown in public isn’t always… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only t…

The theory of mind impairment

It has long been thought that an impairment in theory of mind is a very classic trait of autism. This may be true. But what is also true is that impairment in theory of mind is not exclusive to those of us with autism. In fact, I go about my day to day life interacting… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along with receiving access to our exclusive a…

Impaired imagination?

This article was inspired by a comment I saw on the girl with the curly hair Facebook page. Somebody had commented on a post of mine, which talked about people with ASD having impaired social imagination. The person said she “had lots of imagination.” This intrigued me. Then I understood that people are often misunderstood… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like…

People with ASD – excellent theory of mind

The connection between theory of mind and ASD has been studied extensively and is strongly suggestive of people with ASD having impaired theory of mind compared to their neurotypical counterparts. One definition of theory of mind is: ‘Being aware that another person may have a different point of view’ Theory of mind is developed during childhood. So, if people with ASD have impaired theory… Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article…

The three layers of relating to somebody else

Today I have been thinking about how we show that we care about another person. Looking at relationships in the simplest way, I believe there are three layers involved when we relate to another person. They are shown in the image below…. Join The Curly Hair Project Community Today This article and our podcasts are available only to members of our community. If you would like to continue to read this article, along with receiving access to our exclusive animations, podcasts an…