“Let’s Try to Stay on Track”: Exploring Therapists’ Responses to Digressive Utterances of Children with ASD

Findings reframe digressions as agentic bids necessitating mutual adaptation, aligning with "the double empathy problem". As the first DA study of therapist responses to digressions in China, this study underscores the clinical importance of culturally attuned flexibility for validating autistic agency while maintaining therapeutic progress. Based on the research findings, therapist training should emphasize reflective, context-responsive practices to enhance engagement across cultures.