To increase my understanding of the issue, I myself recently spoke with a scientist who has reached similar conclusions.
Here is a transcript of that discussion:
Incipient Turvy: You've concluded that people with autism, or on the autism spectrum, lack empathy.
Scientist: Yes. The data is pretty clear on that.
IT: Yet when you look at personal stories...both from autistic individuals and family and friends of autistic individuals...the evidence seems to indicate that they do, in fact, experience empathy.
S: Personal stories may indicate that...but stories are not evidence. Scientific studies provide us with evidence. And the evidence is clear; people with autism lack empathy.
IT: I understand that personal stories are not scientific...but surely they have weight, can impact the understanding of an issue.
S: Personal stories are what we in the scientific community like to call "crap". No scientific value of any kind.
IT: But to privilege data over the personal experiences of the group being studied...that in-itself would seem to require a profound lack of empathy.
S: Oh, yeah. No doubt. I don't know if you've noticed, but there's no empathy button on a calculator. There's no place for it in science. Data, baby. That's what we're all about. People? Meh...not so much. They muddy up the results, make a mess of everything.
IT: I guess I just have a problem with the studies, since the personal stories are so consistent. Empathy, by any reasonable estimation, seems to be a common trait amongst people with autism.
S: I would agree...were it not for this sweet chunk of irrefutable data-love that i have here.
[scientist holds up a pie chart]
S: Pie chart! Boo-yeah! Can't really argue with this. I'll take my pie chart over your "personal stories" any day.
[scientist begins to cuddle the pie chart, gently kissing it, caressing it].
S: Beloved, beloved pie chart. This is all the evidence I need right here.
[click to enlarge]
