Do autistic people have empathy?

Yes, autistic people can and do have empathy. The common misconception that they lack empathy likely comes from differences in how they express or process emotions. Many autistic individuals experience deep emotions and care about others but may struggle with reading social cues, understanding unspoken emotions, or expressing their own feelings in a way that neurotypical people expect. Some even experience hyper-empathy, feeling others’ emotions so intensely that it becomes overwhelming. It’s more about differences in communication and perception rather than an absence of empathy.