Damian Milton

Damian Milton
BornAugust 1973 (age 51)
CitizenshipBritish
Alma mater
Known forAutism research, double empathy problem
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsUniversity of Kent
ThesisEducational Discourse and the Autistic Student: A Study Using Q-sort Methodology (2015)
Neurodiversity paradigm
Philosophy
Organizations
Events
Issues
People
Films
Criticism

Damian Elgin Maclean Milton (born August 1973[1]) is a British sociologist and social psychologist who specialises in autism research and is an autism rights advocate. He is a lecturer at the University of Kent as well as a consultant for the United Kingdom's National Autistic Society and has academic qualifications in sociology, psychology, philosophy, and education.[2][3]: 13 

Milton's interest in autism began when his son was diagnosed as autistic in 2005 at two years old. Milton himself was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in 2009 at the age of 36.[3]: 13 [4]

Milton is best known for his "double empathy problem" theory first published in 2012,[5][6][7] which is the idea that, contrary to what previous studies in the late 20th century had concluded, autistic people are not inherently deficient in empathy but rather that autistic and non-autistic people bidirectionally struggle with empathy and communicating with one another.[8][9][10] While the concept had existed in earlier discourse, dating back to arguments voiced by activists like Jim Sinclair since the 1990s, Milton named and significantly expanded on it.[3]: 10 [10]

Milton has co-authored over 250 publications[2] related to autism. His work is influenced by the social model of disability,[3]: 10–12 [7] and many of his publications deconstruct and critically analyse past theories. For example, he has argued that self-stimulatory behavior (stimming) should be viewed positively and may help autistic people achieve flow states.[11] His work has been favourably received by the academic[9][10][12] as well as the autistic community.[6][13]

He has spoken out against the Spectrum 10K project, questioning whether it truly was contributing to the well-being of autistic people.[14]

  1. ^ "Damian Elgin Maclean MILTON personal appointments". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Companies House. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Dr Damian Milton - Senior Lecturer in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities". University of Kent. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Milton, Damian (2012). "So what exactly is autism?" (PDF). Autism Education Trust. Retrieved 11 May 2023 – via Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent).
  4. ^ "Dr Damian Milton". Transform Autism Education. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  5. ^ Milton, Damian E.M. (1 October 2012). "On the ontological status of autism: the 'double empathy problem'" (PDF). Disability & Society. 27 (6): 883–887. doi:10.1080/09687599.2012.710008. S2CID 54047060 – via Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent).
  6. ^ a b Rozsa, Matthew (6 June 2021). "Being autistic may amount to a language difference — not an impairment". Salon. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b Love, Shayla (29 March 2022). "What Does Neurodiversity Even Mean?". Motherboard. Vice Media. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  8. ^ Milton, Damian Elgin Maclean; Heasman, Brett; Sheppard, Elizabeth (2020). "Double Empathy". In Volkmar, Fred R. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. New York, NY: Springer. pp. 1–9. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102273-2. ISBN 978-1-4614-6435-8.
  9. ^ a b Askham, Angie Voyles (8 April 2022). "'Theory of mind' in autism: A research field reborn". Spectrum. Simons Foundation. doi:10.53053/GXNC7576. S2CID 248030107.
  10. ^ a b c Zamzow, Rachel (22 July 2021). "Double empathy, explained". Spectrum. Simons Foundation. doi:10.53053/MMNL2849. S2CID 243309008.
  11. ^ Damian Milton (2014). "Going with the flow: reconsidering 'repetitive behaviour' through the concept of 'flow states'". In Glenys Jones and Elizabeth Hurley (ed.). Good Autism Practice: autism, happiness and wellbeing. Birmingham, UK: BILD. pp. 38–47. ISBN 978-1-905218-35-6.
  12. ^ Woods, Richard; Waltz, Mitzi (21 June 2019). "The strength of autistic expertise and its implications for autism knowledge production: A response to Damian Milton" (PDF). Autonomy, the Critical Journal of Interdisciplinary Autism Studies. 1 (6). Retrieved 11 May 2023 – via Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive.
  13. ^ "Milton's 'double empathy problem': A summary for non-academics". Reframing Autism. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  14. ^ Askham, Angie Voyles; Dattaro, Laura (18 October 2021). "Backlash from autistic community pauses research, exposes communication gaps". Spectrum. Simons Foundation. doi:10.53053/ZQIJ5133. S2CID 244599958.