Decoding emotions: Autistic students and historical empathy

Abstract

The ability to entertain and consider the perspective of a historical person is frequently considered to be an essential element of historical thinking. However, students with autism spectrum disorder – a group whose historical thinking has so far not been the subject of empirical research – often struggle with adopting someone else’s perspective. This paper discusses the challenges autistic students encountered when faced with historical source material and asked to mentally change perspectives, as well as the strategies they employed in this situation. Arguing from the perspective of neurodiversity, this paper outlines the potential for all learners – neurodiverse and neurotypical alike – contained in these strategies.