The stereotype of autistic people “lacking empathy” has always been misleading. It’s not absent, it’s just wired differently. 8/8

We may not mirror other people’s emotions in the expected way. We may not “read the room.” But when suffering is made clear to us, we often feel it intensely, sometimes more than those who claim to be naturally empathetic. 7/8

When people debate “empathy” in politics, it’s usually about cultural expectations, who deserves our compassion, who is seen as “worthy.” But from an autistic perspective, the issue is that empathy is not one size fits all. 6/8

Emotional empathy (sharing in another’s feelings once we know them) is often very strong, sometimes overwhelming. Practical empathy (wanting to help when someone is hurting) is also very present in autistic people. 5/8

Cognitive empathy (figuring out what someone else might be feeling) can be tough for autistic people, especially when social cues are vague. 4/8

Many of us don’t naturally “vicariously experience” someone else’s feelings. We might not read tone, body language, or social context the way neurotypical people do. That doesn’t mean we lack empathy, but that it often works differently. 3/8

This captures what most people mean by empathy. But for autistic people, that definition often feels alien. 2/8

RFK Jr's aggressive ignorance and scientific ineptitude is horrifying. He fundamentally does not understand or accept the most basic empirical principles for determining scientific information.

I hope American medical science can quickly recovery from his absurd & tragic tenure as Health Secretary.