Thanks, an interesting response. I will look into Damian Milton.

Based on my own experiences (which are very limited) I don't see a deficit of empathy in people on the spectrum. What I do see is someone who sees the world differently (has a different kind of "filter" to distinguish signal from noise) which causes the response to stimulus to be different. If you see the world differently, your internal model of what another person is is different, and therefore the way one expresses their empathy is different.

Arguably this isn't so different to how concepts of honour and respect can vary greatly between cultures.