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.
Autistic people can find social situations difficult or overwhelming and struggle to make and maintain friendships, leading to social isolation. It might feel as though other people know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other.
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.
People on the autism spectrum may find social interaction difficult, which can impact their ability to: Start or hold a conversation. Understand non-verbal communication cues including body language and facial expressions that gives context to what is being said. Make and maintain eye contact.
For some autistic people, friendships develop through experimental programs designed to support them. The goal of some of these programs is for participants not just to engage in behaviors that look social but to learn to behave in ways that help build relationships.
Autistic people, however, can be more susceptible to both, due to the pressures of everyday life, having to navigate social situations and sensory overload. Trying to cope with these pressures can lead to exhaustion (autistic fatigue) and over time this can lead to extreme exhaustion or autistic burnout.
Those with Autism are More Than Likely Not Introverted
In fact, many with autism actually enjoy being next to those that they love and holding new friendships with others who they come across. Some people who have autism may also be introverts, but the two are not directly linked to go hand in hand.
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.
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].
These have ranged from simply doing or saying something that is in poor taste (hardly serious) to verbally attacking or stalking another member of the group (very serious).
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.
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.
However, there are plenty of extroverted (or otherwise) autistic people who might even be perceived as almost obsessive or overbearing because of their desire to talk with their friends. Contrary to what some people may think, autistic people want connection just as much as any other human being.
Autistic people who have trouble identifying their emotions, a condition known as alexithymia, are likely to have anxiety, depression and problems with social communication, according to a new study1.
It's true that many people with autism don't show emotion in ways that people without the condition would recognize. But the notion that people with autism generally lack empathy and cannot recognize feelings is wrong.
Social anxiety is particularly common among all Autistics, with prevalence estimates reported to be as high as 50% (Bellini, 2004; Maddox & White, 2015; Spain et al., 2016). This is substantially higher than the Allistic population (estimates of SAD among non-ASD population range from 7–13%) (NICE, 2013a).
An individual can have both social anxiety disorder and autism, they can also only be autistic, or only have social anxiety disorder. The same study also found that “data from multiple samples, across settings, consistently indicate that a significant proportion, but not all, individuals with autism have SA”.
While cognitive empathy can be lower in people with autism, affective empathy—which is based on instincts and involuntary responses to the emotions of others—can be strong and overwhelming. In fact, newer research suggests that some people with autism may actually feel other people's emotions more intensely.
While it is true that autistic people often have a harder time reading social cues, this does not necessarily demonstrate lack of empathy. This research has resulted in the significant conclusion that people living with autism do not care, and consequently lack a fundamental aspect of being a compassionate human.
Some kids on the spectrum feel a constant need for affection because they are not sure when or if the attention will be available. Schedule 5 to 10 minutes every day when you can provide your youngster with undivided attention (i.e., no computer, T.V., cell phones, etc.).