Empathic Concern Preceding Autism Diagnosis: A Study of Elevated-Likelihood Children

Children who are later diagnosed with autism often exhibit early differences in social–emotional development. Empathic concern, defined as an emotional response to another's distress, is one of the earliest observable aspects of empathy and is fundamental to social interaction. Previous work indicates that children who go on to receive an autism diagnosis, especially those at increased likelihood due to genetic or perinatal factors, show considerable variation in their empathic responses. This study investigates how empathic concern develops in toddlers at elevated likelihood for autism. In particular, it examines whether variations in attention, empathic concern, and prosocial behaviour in response to an adult’s display of distress distinguish toddlers who later exhibit autistic traits or receive an autism diagnosis from those who do not. Using a prospective longitudinal design, 209 children were followed, including very preterm-born children, younger siblings of autistic children, and younger siblings of typically developing children. Empathic concern was measured at 24 and 36 months with the empathic response task, together with standardized developmental assessments and parent-report questionnaires. The findings and their developmental significance are presented and discussed.