Is it true that people with autism dont feel social emotions

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Social emotions are emotions that depend upon the thoughts, feelings or actions of other people, "as experienced, recalled, anticipated or imagined at first hand". Examples are embarrassment, guilt, shame, jealousy, envy, elevation, empathy, and pride. In contrast, basic emotions such as happiness and sadness only require the awareness of one's own physical state.

No. It’s false.

I wish. My emotions are so overwhelming.

I feel them but I can't name, distinguish or express them because of alexithymia.

I'm asking because I told my therapist that I cried when somebody made fun of me, and so she said that I couldn't be autistic because autistic people don't feel social emotions.

Don't return to that therapist. Professional ignorance is dangerous to you. Knowingly or unknowingly, she perpetrated harm on you psychologically by saying what she did. She will always consider her opinions more valid than your feelings and your capacity to be you.

^ That's completely untrue. You need to find a new therapist.

^^ A therapist who is ignorant in regard to autism.

Most of us weren't identified or tested by our therapists, but rather neuropsychologist or neuropsychiatrist diagnosticians who administer hours of assessment tests. These people are rarely the professionals we see for one-on-one counselling. I suggest that you look for an adult ASD specialist if you want to be identified on the spectrum. You may wish to find a new counsellor for your personal therapy sessions as well, because yours sounds rather dismissive. It isn't uncommon to face these biases in the medical community, but keep looking!

It is false. My therapist initially said I was too "warm" to be ASD. Thankfully she herself suggested that she would check with a colleague who knew more. Also, I unmasked (I had been so well behaved). Four months later this same therapist is "convinced" (her word) I have ASD. I am too.

I crave social interaction, it just goes badly often with NTs. It's better with ASDs.

Yours truly Hyperfeeler Aspie,
~S

We can feel them. My therapist didn't think I was on the spectrum either.

I feel too many of them, to the point of being a sentimental sap. I used to not want to ride horses because I didn't want to hurt them...

...but then I got up close & personal with some horses and seriously those things are the size of a Mazda Miata and built far more solidly. They don't care if you're sitting on them or not; it's kind of hard to hurt a horse when you only weigh 130 soaking wet.

So I have to moderate emotions, just like everyone else. If there's too much I lessen them, and if there's too little I try to enhance them.

False.


I wish it's true, because it's practically unnecessary.

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It's not true, because I feel all of those emotions.

It is possible that someone with severe autism would not react to being made fun of because it would not register. They could be very well aware they are being made fun of, but the emotional response connection would not be there.

When I was severe my outward reaction was pretty deadpan no matter what. Someone trying to make me cry or laugh would usually be unsuccessful. And even these days I am still often deadpan.

So your therapist was going by textbook severe classic autism - which does not apply to all severe autistics.