How to Be a Good Friend: Tips for Making Friends with Autism
Some skills come naturally to some people, and they don’t even need to work on them to be considered good at what they do. For some, this could be learning how to ride a bicycle, while for others, it might be knowing all the names of the dinosaurs or how to get the best score on a new video game. However, there are certain skills in life that require a bit more attention and practice. Learning how to make friends and how to be a good friend is definitely something that can be a challenge for those who have autism.
Depending on where you are on the spectrum, as well as your life experiences up until now, you may want to have a bit more practice making friends with autism, especially if your goal is to build lifelong friendships. Friendship and disability is one of those things that should go hand in hand, mainly because friendships can be highly beneficial to anyone with a developmental disability. Friendships are the cornerstone of working toward a more independent life as a young adult, and it all starts with being brave enough to take that very first step.
How to Make Friends
Friendships are the same for anyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. They start naturally, forged out of shared interest, hobby, or group activity. They can happen online, via a social app, or in person, it just depends on where you are looking and how committed you are to learning how to try. It might seem as though making friends with autism is easier for young children than for adults, but children can have many of the same difficulties that adults do in trying to start conversations with other people. Just because you are sitting in the same sandbox or in the same classroom with another person does not mean that the magic of friendship will just happen.
The top way for teens, young adults, and adults to make friends is to join a membership and become actively involved with the group. All Friends Network was created with the idea of helping those with autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities to have opportunities designed to build lifelong friendships. Finding someone who has a shared interest is the true key to making a new friend. Not every friendship will become a best friend, lifelong friendship, or grow beyond a basic kinship, but every friendship is the opportunity to learn how to be a good friend and add to your skills in that area.
Making Friends Online
For many young people today, learning how to make friends can come easiest online. Unfortunately, not every online platform is safe, and there is a lot of rudeness, deceit, and bullying to be found. That is one of the reasons why All Friends Network was created in the middle of the pandemic when everyone was suddenly stuck at home with no opportunities to meet new people in the real world. While many restrictions have been lifted and life is returning to normal, some of our members still prefer to meet up online and interact via our Live-LINK social app.
Our programs are for members only and are not open to outsiders. The goal is to create a safe space online for learning about making friends with autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities, as well as practicing new skills and learning how to be a good friend. Making friends online can be a great stepping stone toward making friends at some of the real life activities that we host for our members to meet face-to-face and enjoy events and outings together. Online it can be very easy to find people who share similar interests, and it is a great way to learn how to have a conversation, talk about yourself, listen to the ideas of another person, and have mutual respect for each other.
Join All Friends Network
Contact our team directly if you are interested in learning more about our membership opportunities to provide resources and opportunities for friendship and disability. We want to help all of our members who want to make friendships to learn more about making friends with autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities. We plan to work with people of all ages with a concentration of young adults who may find it more challenging to make new friendships and build lifelong friendships. Contact our team by calling 941-587-7172 and speak with one of our friendly team members about joining All Friends Network.