Individuals on the autism spectrum often have difficulty recognising and understanding social cues and therefore do not instinctively learn to adjust their behaviour to suit different social contexts. People with autism may well have the potential to learn these skills however.
Autistic people socially engage based on environmental and ecological perceptions, not on emotional cues. Because of this, it is better to become friends with people based on shared interests or experiences, as that reduces the need to rely on social cues.
Children with ASD have difficulty with social interaction behaviors, including establishing and maintaining relationships, reciprocating social interaction, and communicating with others.
Autistic people in burnout describe feeling exhausted and depleted. As if all of their internal reserves have been used up. These symptoms are not better explained by being physically unwell, malnourished, or having engaged in excessive exercise.
Autistic fatigue is a state of extreme mental, physical and/or sensory exhaustion. When the body's resources are overworked, it can result in fatigue. This can then lead on to burnout. Burnout is the body's response to being in a prolonged state of stress and frustration.
Autistic folks may navigate the world and social interactions in a different way. That doesn't mean they don't have social skills. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies in how it may affect an individual.
One of the most consistent social deficits in children who develop ASD is a lack of non-verbal social gestures such as pointing, showing, and giving. Pointing starts to develop around 8 months of age and should make up the majority of gestures by 12 months of age [11].
With autism, social skills are impaired because of communication; the individual does not know the right things to say. It causes challenges with interpreting social cues, facial expressions, and tone of voice. They might not understand personal space and stand too close or talk too loud.
Making friends doesn't come easy for everyone, especially when you're neurodiverse. Often individuals with autism struggle to make friends because they're fearful of being vulnerable, experiencing social anxiety, and struggle with the social skills necessary to make new friends.
Many autistic people enjoy spending time alone and consider it important for their wellbeing. Loneliness is different though. You might feel lonely if you don't have opportunities to socialise, or find this difficult. You might have friends/colleagues but feel misunderstood, or like you cannot be yourself around them.
Many biological conditions can lead to social difficulties, including autism. However, not all autistic individuals will display social awkwardness (though they may struggle inwardly). Moreover, not everyone who is socially awkward is autistic. And, in fact, they don't necessarily have a diagnosable condition.
Many autistic people are extroverts and gain energy from being around others. They struggle with social norms and sensory input. They have the desire to be around people. But, they may not always catch on to the subtle nuances of social interaction, and that's ok!
For instance, autistic people tend to be particularly honest, reliable, and loyal — some of the most important traits for a long-term relationship. You may just need to be more direct when communicating than you are used to and be prepared to give your partner space when they feel overstimulated.
Researchers found that autistic adults preferred to interact with other autistic adults and were more likely to reveal more about themselves to them compared to neurotypical participants (Morrison et al., 2020).
There are other brain disorders that mimic autism symptoms, like ADHD and anxiety disorders, including selective mutism. Autism can be misdiagnosed as another disorder with some shared symptoms.
Although older autistic individuals may also experience meltdowns, not all autistic people have them.
Autism Prevalence
31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71–85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85).
The researchers say their findings “suggest that nearly half of individuals with ASD have average or higher IQ,” and warn that these individuals “remain at risk for not being identified.”
'High functioning autism' is a term often used for individuals diagnosed with ASD who have an intelligence quotient (IQ) estimate of 70 or above.
These include Isaac Newton, the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, Lewis Carroll, the poet W. B. Yeats, and politicians Keith Joseph and Eamon de Valera. Apparently Hitler too had autistic traits.
Einstein himself had many autistic traits. He did not learn to speak until he was three, and he had a lack of concern about his appearance.
Advances in diagnostic capabilities and greater understanding and awareness of autism spectrum disorder seem to be largely driving the increase, the Rutgers researchers said. But there's probably more to the story: Genetic factors, and perhaps some environmental ones, too, might also be contributing to the trend.