LETTERS

摘要

As an autistic woman, I read your article on empathy with great interest (14 May, p 33). I wonder if the researchers have considered extending their study to autistic people's experiences? In recent years there has been recognition that many autistic people do not fail to experience empathy for other people's mental and emotional states, as was previously thought - but that we may instead be hyper-aware, and instantly overwhelmed by them, leading to immediate shutdown to protect ourselves from the excessive stimulus. The effect is so great that we do not have a chance to classify the emotion, so we may be seen to react as though unaware, or to be avoidant in terms of verbal or physical response and contact.