9. Lack of Empathy
Children with Asperger’s have a mental ‘theory of mind that is incomplete. That is, they have a mental model for the thoughts and feelings of persons in a certain situation. However, it is missing crucial components. People with a ‘normal’ theory of mind have a more perceptive model with an understanding that people may behave differently from what they anticipate.
A person with Asperger’s syndrome does not have the same ability to sense when someone is sad or happy. This can lead to the person appearing uncaring and unsympathetic.
A young child might not be concerned if you appear to hurt yourself for example.
This is not done out of malice or any desire to see other people hurt. It is simply a lack of understanding.