Exploring the Role of Empathy in Understanding the Social-Cognitive Profile for Individuals Referred for Autism Spectrum Disorders Assessment in Adulthood

Victoria Russ,Julie A Hadwin,Tony Brown,Hanna Kovshoff,Patricia Abbott

doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3693-8

Victoria Russ, Julie A Hadwin + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3693-8

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Abstract

This study explored the social-cognitive profile of 173 adults referred for an autism assessment. We considered key dimensional traits (autism, empathy and systemising) to understand social cognition in adults diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition compared with those who were referred for, but did not receive a diagnosis. There were no significant social cognitive differences between groups on measures of emotion recognition and social inference. Adults with a confirmed diagnosis, however, reported fewer empathising traits which were positively associated with social-cognitive understanding. Empathising partially mediated the relationship between diagnostic group and social-cognition. Lower empathising traits in individuals diagnosed in adulthood may be important in understanding challenges with social adaptability. The findings have implications for assessment and highlight the role of empathy in developing social understanding in autism.

Highlights

Around 450,000 adults in the UK have a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and a growing awareness of the disorder in adulthood has increased the demand for diagnostic services in adulthood (Howlin and Taylor 2015)
This study explored social cognition of adults referred to a diagnostic service for an ASD assessment in adulthood
We considered the social-cognitive profile between adults whose ASD diagnosis was confirmed versus those where the diagnosis was not confirmed

Summary

Introduction

Around 450,000 adults in the UK have a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and a growing awareness of the disorder in adulthood has increased the demand for diagnostic services in adulthood (Howlin and Taylor 2015). Changes in diagnostic criteria in ASD sit alongside a growing interest in dimensional approaches to diagnosis within development and psychopathology (Hudziak et al 2007; Jalbrzikowski et al 2017; Owen 2014) This shift from a categorical to a dimensional approach may represent a better fit with clinical practice, whereby diagnostic assessments tend to involve developing an individual profile of strengths and difficulties relating to social-communication and cognitive abilities in ASD (National Research Council 2001). The empathising–systemising (ES) framework was developed to capture the thinking style associated with ASD, while emphasising that these traits are present to a greater or lesser extent in the typical population (Baron-Cohen 2009)

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