--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some people say ASD is ‘an empathy…" description: "\"“Some people say ASD is ‘an empathy disorder’. We are unfeeling and uncaring, according to them. But how can they know my inner mind any more than I ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/kevin-berry-35789_empathy_some-people-say-asd-is-an-empathy-disord_2625648.jpg" --- # Some people say ASD is ‘an empathy disorder’. We are… ![“Some people say ASD is ‘an empathy disorder’. We are unfeeling and uncaring, according to them. But how can they know my inner mind any more than I can know theirs?” quote by Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/kevin-berry-35789_empathy_some-people-say-asd-is-an-empathy-disord_2625648.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/kevin-berry-35789_empathy_some-people-say-asd-is-an-empathy-disord_2625648.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/kevin-berry-35789_empathy_some-people-say-asd-is-an-empathy-disord_2625648.jpg) > ““Some people say ASD is ‘an empathy disorder’. We are unfeeling and uncaring, according to them. But how can they know my inner mind any more than I can know theirs?”” [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Labeling autism as an empathy deficit misrepresents inner experience and hinders understanding. **In simple terms:** ASD isn’t lack of empathy. Key Takeaway Promote nuanced view of autism. Themes autism empathy stigma identity Mood advoc insightful Type advocacy educational When to use this quote - education workshops - inclusion policies - personal storytelling Key Concepts neurodiversity social perception self‑advocacy Questions to Reflect On - How can we better understand autistic inner lives? - What language best respects neurodiversity? A Different Perspective May overlook diverse autistic experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asd Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asd-empathy-2147829/) [Disorder Unfeeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder-unfeeling-2147831/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Empathy Disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy-disorder-2147830/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Unfeeling Uncaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfeeling-uncaring-2147832/) ## Related quotes > [I have a lot of empathy, and I think that's where mothering starts. You are there to empathise and facilitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-lot-of-empathy-and-i-think-that-s-where-mothering-starts-you/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [“The emotional intelligence model consists of four clusters: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.  ● Self-Awareness is a propensity for self-reflection and thoughtfulness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-bolton/the-emotional-intelligence-model-consists-of-four-clusters-self/) [Chuck Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-bolton/) > [I began to use my sensitivity. And I realized I wasn't weird because I cried a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-began-to-use-my-sensitivity-and-i-realized-i-wasn-t-weird-because-i/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [Ultimately, my character is defined by the quality of my sensitivity to other people. I exist in equilibrium. I am here to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/ultimately-my-character-is-defined-by-the-quality-of-my-sensitivity/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [“CWC (Church Women Concerned) enabled us as women in that part of South Africa, to see ourselves as ordinary citizens who found themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sindiwe-magona/cwc-church-women-concerned-enabled-us-as-women-in-that-part-of-south/) [Sindiwe Magona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sindiwe-magona/) > [I try to treat every job with the exact same level of respect. When I go into it, it doesn't matter what the budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-try-to-treat-every-job-with-the-exact-same-level-of-respect-when-i/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [Empathic listening takes time, but it doesn't take anywhere near as much time as it takes to back up and correct misunderstandings when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/empathic-listening-takes-time-but-it-doesn-t-take-anywhere-near-as/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [“A novel is not an allegory...it is a sensual experience of another world. If you don't enter that world, hold your breath with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/a-novel-is-not-an-allegory-it-is-a-sensual-experience-of-another/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [Making a movie is about following characters and embarking on an adventure with them, seeing their reactions, and seeing what they do, having empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franck-khalfoun/making-a-movie-is-about-following-characters-and-embarking-on-an/) [Franck Khalfoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franck-khalfoun/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Understanding breeds empathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/understanding-breeds-empathy/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Cinematography speaks to everything that women do inherently well: It's multitasking, it's empathy, and it's channeling visuals into human emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/cinematography-speaks-to-everything-that-women-do-inherently-well-it/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [I need voices of reason and of hysteria and of empathy. I need to have an Alanis moment. I need advice from Elizabeth Bennett.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-need-voices-of-reason-and-of-hysteria-and-of-empathy-i-need-to-have/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) ## More by Kevin Berry > [“have to. But this apparent coldness is not a lack of empathy and feeling; it is a hypersensitivity. It is feeling too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/have-to-but-this-apparent-coldness-is-not-a-lack-of-empathy-and/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“People usually don’t ascend to positions of power like that by being nice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/people-usually-don-t-ascend-to-positions-of-power-like-that-by-being/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“We are the square pegs that do not neatly fit into the round holes of life without taking a battering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/we-are-the-square-pegs-that-do-not-neatly-fit-into-the-round-holes-of/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“All of them. I mean, they ask you a question, and they don’t want to hear the answer if it disagrees with their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/all-of-them-i-mean-they-ask-you-a-question-and-they-don-t-want-to/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“There is a screaming in my head. It is me, or some part of me that has been woken up like a kraken disturbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/there-is-a-screaming-in-my-head-it-is-me-or-some-part-of-me-that-has/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“Usually I would find myself having to step aside while oncoming pedestrians never deviated a centimetre from their intended path, and would have walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/usually-i-would-find-myself-having-to-step-aside-while-oncoming/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“Yet whenever there is uncertainty, I feel compelled to evaluate all possible outcomes. But then I feel overwhelmed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/yet-whenever-there-is-uncertainty-i-feel-compelled-to-evaluate-all/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“When others are upset, I am upset too, but I do not know why. When others shout or become angry, I become afraid, fearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/when-others-are-upset-i-am-upset-too-but-i-do-not-know-why-when/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“When there is a lot of information bombarding us all at once, such as the sounds, movements and smells of several people, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/when-there-is-a-lot-of-information-bombarding-us-all-at-once-such-as/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“Also, I do not like them touching me, and if a fat person sits next to me, they inevitably touch me. So I deliberately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/also-i-do-not-like-them-touching-me-and-if-a-fat-person-sits-next-to/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“She departed without saying goodbye, leaving the empty cup behind her, contrary to café regulations. What a rebel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/she-departed-without-saying-goodbye-leaving-the-empty-cup-behind-her/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) > [“I wasn’t like the other girls at school. All they did was hang around in groups and talk about boys and TV shows and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-berry/i-wasn-t-like-the-other-girls-at-school-all-they-did-was-hang-around/) [Kevin Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) [Explore all 13 Kevin Berry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-berry/) ## More Empathy quotes > [I have a lot of empathy, and I think that's where mothering starts. You are there to empathise and facilitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-lot-of-empathy-and-i-think-that-s-where-mothering-starts-you/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Cinematography speaks to everything that women do inherently well: It's multitasking, it's empathy, and it's channeling visuals into human emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/cinematography-speaks-to-everything-that-women-do-inherently-well-it/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Understanding breeds empathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/understanding-breeds-empathy/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Making a movie is about following characters and embarking on an adventure with them, seeing their reactions, and seeing what they do, having empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franck-khalfoun/making-a-movie-is-about-following-characters-and-embarking-on-an/) [Franck Khalfoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franck-khalfoun/) > [“A novel is not an allegory...it is a sensual experience of another world. If you don't enter that world, hold your breath with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/a-novel-is-not-an-allegory-it-is-a-sensual-experience-of-another/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [Empathic listening takes time, but it doesn't take anywhere near as much time as it takes to back up and correct misunderstandings when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/empathic-listening-takes-time-but-it-doesn-t-take-anywhere-near-as/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I try to treat every job with the exact same level of respect. When I go into it, it doesn't matter what the budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-try-to-treat-every-job-with-the-exact-same-level-of-respect-when-i/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [“CWC (Church Women Concerned) enabled us as women in that part of South Africa, to see ourselves as ordinary citizens who found themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sindiwe-magona/cwc-church-women-concerned-enabled-us-as-women-in-that-part-of-south/) [Sindiwe Magona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sindiwe-magona/) > [Ultimately, my character is defined by the quality of my sensitivity to other people. I exist in equilibrium. I am here to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/ultimately-my-character-is-defined-by-the-quality-of-my-sensitivity/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [I began to use my sensitivity. And I realized I wasn't weird because I cried a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-began-to-use-my-sensitivity-and-i-realized-i-wasn-t-weird-because-i/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [“The emotional intelligence model consists of four clusters: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.  ● Self-Awareness is a propensity for self-reflection and thoughtfulness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-bolton/the-emotional-intelligence-model-consists-of-four-clusters-self/) [Chuck Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-bolton/) > [I need voices of reason and of hysteria and of empathy. I need to have an Alanis moment. I need advice from Elizabeth Bennett.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-need-voices-of-reason-and-of-hysteria-and-of-empathy-i-need-to-have/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) [Browse all 2,480 Empathy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Some people say ASD is ‘an empathy disorder’. We are unfeeling and uncaring, according to them. 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