Examining the nature of communication difficulties between autistic and non-autistic individuals

Up until recently, psychological literature surrounding the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (hereafter ‘autism’) has used the medical model, treating autism as a disadvantageous medical condition, resulting in social communication deficits and restricted and repetitive interests. The neurodiversity movement shifts focus away from the medical model, reframing neurodiversity in a more positive light. An example of this is Milton’s Double Empathy Hypothesis which suggests that communication deficits are not an autistic trait, but instead the outcome of mixed neurotype interaction. Based on this hypothesis, Crompton and colleagues used a diffusion chain methodology and determined that autistic-to-autistic communication was as effective as allistic-to-allistic and that miscommunications only occurred in mixed-neurotype interactions. In the present study, we repeated the diffusion chain methodology, followed by a Minecraft-based task which aimed to examine these effects in a more natural setting. We found a significant effect of pair type on time taken to complete the map, with autistic pairs completing the map fastest. This suggests that communication deficits are not an autistic trait but instead the outcome of mixed-neurotype interaction. Future studies should focus on adapting lab procedures further to suit the needs of the neurodivergent community and further our understanding of autism as a neurodifference.