Many autistic people enjoy spending time alone and consider it important for their wellbeing.
Autistic adults are often lonelier than nonautistic adults. Loneliness for both autistic and nonautistic adults was related to social skills and dissatisfaction with social support.
Being alone can be a way for us to settle our minds and soothe our senses, much like a baby happily playing with their toes in a crib, all alone in their thoughts, sometimes laughing out loud or cooing. They do this for their own pleasure. Individuals with autism are good at enjoying their own company.
Many people with autism need space around them and feel overwhelmed by crowds or clutter.
Lay Summary. The living situation of autistic adults has rarely been studied. We found that 79% of autistic adults with mostly (above) average intellectual abilities lived independently.
These children are often notably awkward, and they find nonverbal interaction especially complicated, specifically in situations involving eye contact, sensory sensitivity, spatial awareness, and interpersonal communications.
Long-term research that involved following a group of individuals with autism for two decades indicates that the average life expectancy for some autistic people is about 39 years. Furthermore, this population generally succumbed to health complications about 20 years earlier than individuals who do not have autism.
People with autism may get easily attached to people, leading them to become over-friendly. It can be difficult to understand other people's perceptions of situations, therefore what they feel is appropriate, may be considered as socially unacceptable.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers.
Many people affected by autism like to review conversations to themselves. This can include repeating lines from their favorite movies, TV shows or YouTube channels. We call this “scripting.” It's a common repetitive behavior that can be a source of comfort when the person is anxious or excited.
While many people with autism may appear to lack empathy and sympathy, it is not the case for all people with autism. For those who struggle with displaying appropriate empathetic responses, the reasons may relate more to social communication issues than a lack of underlying emotional response.
Many people with autism crave intimacy and love. But, they don't know how to achieve it in a romantic relationship. They can feel blind to everyday subtle social cues from their partner. This can cause conflict and hurt feelings.
Autistic people often form close bonds and strong trust very rapidly. If you can meet the right kind of Autistic person – and they'll be out there somewhere – you just 'click'. It might seem a bit strange, but it could well turn out to be a lifelong friendship. Good friendship is often quality over quantity.
Autistic people can find social situations difficult or overwhelming and struggle to make and maintain friendships, leading to social isolation.
Many people in the autism community also prefer identity-first language. They view autism as a central and important part of their identity and take pride in it.
So-called 'lower-order' repetitive behaviors are movements such as hand-flapping, fidgeting with objects or body rocking, and vocalizations such as grunting or repeating certain phrases. 'Higher-order' repetitive behaviors include autism traits such as routines and rituals, insistence on sameness and intense interests.
Although your son's reaction sounds more severe than most, many people with autism struggle with a range of fears, phobias and worries. These can range from a debilitating fear of, say, spiders or the dark to chronic anxiety about making mistakes or being late.
Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights). Certain sounds, smells, textures and tastes can also be overwhelming. This can result in sensory avoidance – trying to get away from stimuli that most people can easily tune out.
Touch is an important component of many social experiences for many people. Autistic children commonly avoid social touch more than non-autistic peers. It is generally thought that this is due to autistic individuals experiencing hyper- or hyposensitivity of touch.
While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged.
Dating experience and satisfaction
A 2016 study found that the vast majority (73%) of high functioning autistic people surveyed have had romantic experiences. In fact, only 7% of participants reported no desire to be in a relationship.
Donald Triplett, the Mississippi man known worldwide as "Case 1," the first person to be diagnosed with autism, died Thursday, June 15, 2023. Donald Gray Triplett, the first person diagnosed with autism symptoms, died Thursday, according to his longtime employer. Triplett was 89.