Autism and Friendships: Meeting New People and Learn Social Skills

autism and friendshipsWhile there are no two people who are exactly alike in the way that they approach social situations or making friends, you are not alone in your quest for friendships. Many people with autism find it difficult to make friends and acquire social skills that they can use successfully to forge connections. This is because doing new activities, like meeting new people, may be intimidating, nerve-wracking, and sometimes even confusing – it’s like that for anyone, autism or not!

Given the link between autism and social skill deficits, it is easy to understand why this may be so difficult. Education, the improvement of skills, help from real-world circumstances, and opportunities can all be helpful. But if you understand why there are so many issues with autism and friendships, it becomes easier to cope with. All Friends Network works to support people of all ages, with a focus on young adults with autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental issues.

Resources and Support for Social Skills

Depending on your unique situation, there many be natural obstacles to the development of social skills, especially in people with autism. Speaking with people you know and feel comfortable around might be challenging at times. Talking about something you both enjoy, like hobbies or a shared respect for something, could make things easier. Unknown situations, such as meeting new people outside of your comfort zone, can make communicating even more difficult. Certain communications issues, such as stuttering, stammering or forgetting what you were about to say, might quickly become a negative experience. A person with autism spectrum disorders may also find it challenging to read the body language and facial emotions of others. This can make it even more challenging to decipher someone’s tone in an online chat or text message without the usage of emoticons and other helpful symbols.

Being in a public or social situation can be quite painful for many individuals with autism. More than just socializing, establishing friends may be a difficult endeavor. Many individuals have high expectations for themselves or their careers, which makes it difficult for them to merely try to establish friends. Speaking with strangers is stress-free since there is no expectation of friendship. To navigate everyday circumstances and make friends outside of their family, community, school, and place of employment, kids, teens, and young people need to become proficient in social skills. All Friends Network is developing interactive tools to help our members learn more about overcoming social skills and autism and making friends in everyday settings.

Opportunities for Meeting New People

One of the hallmarks of autistic tendencies and behaviors is to allow one negative experience to set the tone for the future. People with autism, as well as those with other social and communications issues, can become overwhelmed by meeting new people or joining new situations. Anxiety over loneliness, rejection, and failure may be as terrible as any other fear. It might occasionally be helpful to begin working on social skill development after a negative encounter to show the person that not all friendships will work out. It pays to be patient since even the finest opportunities and circumstances in real life can be overshadowed by nervous, self-conscious, and negative thoughts. It could be stimulating to find others who have similar developmental limits and who understand their struggles making friends.

All Friends Network was founded to provide a safe space where people with developmental disabilities, such as autism and cerebral palsy, may acquire social skills, build friendships, and feel more confident in social situations. It may also be helpful to work with licensed therapists and specialists who understand how people with autism spectrum disorders think and interpret friendships. Our organization has begun holding monthly social events to try and bring our members together. As soon as we have enough individuals to sustain our gatherings, we will add even more real-world activities and opportunities to our agenda.

Join All Friends Network Today!

Joining is easy, just contact one of our team members and we will help you to get on board. Our members can start chatting and creating friends right away in the AFN Live-LINK safe and secure app environment. For more information about All Friends Network, the AFN Live-LINK app, and our upcoming members only events, give us a call at 941-587-7172. Alternatively, you can also use our online form to get a callback from a member of our team.