empathy
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empathy
| Fri, 03-14-2008 - 11:19am |
how do u help your child show empathy ?? this was one of the biggest red flags to me so why they dont think my daughter is on the spectrum is baffeling me.. but anywho, for example this morning she dropped something on my figners and i let out a loud owwwww,and i said "rylee please be careful that hurt mommy" and its as if i were speaking in french. she didnt even register the pain i was showing in my face...





Hi,
This is totally developmentally normal, typical, whatever the language is. Your daughter is in a very egocentric mode at 2 years old and is just beginning to learn that other people have different feelings than her own. She doesn't yet understand other people's perspectives. Young children can show concern when someone is crying or distressed, but it's not consistent, and she doesn't understand the cause and effect that her action caused you pain. Not to say she doesn't have lack of empathy, but probably that it's too early to tell for sure.
Cheers,
Elaine
You know, for the longest time, I thought my son had little to no empathy for the people around him, but after watching him carefully for awhile, I realised that it wasn't that he didn't feel it, but that he didn't show it.
Well....I would agree that most 2 year olds are pretty self-absorbed so it isn't a huge shock that she doesn't get it.
I know everyone is thinknig 2 is young to tell, but for me, I think you can tell the difference. I can really see a difference between my aspie who is 5 and my 2 year old dd.