Why do misunderstandings sometimes occur between neurodivergent and neurotypical people, even when everyone has good intentions?  The Double Empathy Problem offers a different way of understanding these moments, suggesting that difficulties in connection often arise from differences in experience, communication, and perspective, rather than deficits within one person.
 
Created by Growing Gently Psychology, this introductory fact sheet explores the Double Empathy Problem (Milton, 2012) through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. It includes examples of ways neurodivergent and neurotypical people may differ in how they communicate, process information, express emotions, and make sense of social interactions.
 
The examples provided are not intended to define or predict any individual's experience. Rather, they invite reflection on how behaviours can be interpreted differently depending on context, lived experience, and the assumptions we bring to an interaction.
 
Designed for parents, educators, therapists, and other helping professionals, this resource offers a starting point for thinking differently about communication, connection, and attunement across neurotypes.
 
I’m so glad you’re using this resource. Please support my work by sharing the link rather than the PDF. You’re very welcome to print and use copies, just not distribute the digital file directly.
 
Format: 1-page PDF fact sheet
Author: Rebecca Cefai, Growing Gently Psychology