Abstract

Research has increasingly recognized that empathy difficulties between autistic and neurotypical individuals are mutual. As empathy depends on shared understanding, identifying common ground between autistic and neurotypical children is important to foster greater empathy. This study examined reactivity patterns in autistic and neurotypical children to explore how similarities in reactivity might promote empathy across neurodiverse groups. Using a quantitative, survey-based design, parents of 56 children (19 autistic, 37 neurotypical; ages 5-11) completed a novel measure developed for this study, the Reactivity to Scenarios of Differing Intensity (RSDI), which measures children's reactivity to various social and environmental scenarios of differing intensity. Parents also completed standardized assessments of sensory processing, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and autistic traits. Statistical analyses focused on identifying reactivity patterns both within and across scenarios, including developmental comparisons between an older group (8-11 years) and a younger group (5-7 years). Findings revealed that while autistic children consistently displayed higher overall reactivity, both groups showed a similar pattern of increased response to more intense scenarios. Of the six reactivity types assessed by the RSDI, autistic and neurotypical participants demonstrated the most similarity in speech/language and emotional responses, and the most divergence in sensory and somatic responses. Most notably, several non-significant differences in across-scenario comparisons indicated that autistic children's responses to low-intensity situations resembled neurotypical children's reactions to high-intensity scenarios, suggesting comparable reactivity under different social and environmental contextual demands. Developmentally, age-related trends differed between the two groups: overall reactivity was observed to decrease with age in neurotypical children but increase among autistic children. These findings highlight meaningful similarities and informative distinctions between groups, supporting a shift toward fostering empathy by recognizing shared human experiences--even when expressed in different contexts--and offering actionable insights for stakeholders seeking to promote mutual understanding across neurodiverse populations.

Degree

MS

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Communication Disorders

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2025-06-05

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13701

Keywords

autism, empathy, double empathy problem, cognitive environments, reactivity

Language

english

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