Autism doesn't preclude empathy at all. In fact, I would say it augments it once the other person's feelings are understood. What's generally lacking is realising the other is feeling in a certain way until it's explained to them or they have otherwise rationalised that feeling. Which, relatively ironically, will never be enough to make a neurotypical person feel empathy.
I don't know about you, but if I said someone doesn't have empathy I would think that I'm the one lacking it, since I can't possibly imagine understanding that person or their feelings.