Tony TonyAttwood. Clinical experience has identified that the majority of such adolescents and young adults would like a romantic relationship. However, there is remarkably little research examining this aspect of autism spectrum disorders ASDs or strategies to facilitate successful relationships.
Typical children do this naturally and have practised relationship skills with family members and friends for many years before applying these abilities to achieve a successful romantic relationship. They also can have an extreme sensitivity to particular sensory experiences. To achieve a successful relationship, a person also needs to understand and respect him- or herself. His requests for a date had been consistently rejected. Then a very popular and attractive girl in his class suggested the two of them go for a date at the cinema.
He was so happy and the date was progressing well, when the girl became embarrassed and confessed that she asked to go out with him only to complete a dare from her friends. He was devastated. People with an autism spectrum disorder have difficulties understanding and expressing emotions, and an emotion that is particularly confusing to people with ASD is love. A child or an adult with ASD may not seek the same depth and frequency of expressions of love through acts of affection, or realize that an expression of affection is expected in a particular situation and would be enjoyed by the other person.
Someone with an ASD also may be conspicuously immature in his or her expressions of affection, and sometimes may perceive these expressions of affection as aversive experiences. For example, a hug may be perceived as an uncomfortable squeeze that restricts movement. The person can become confused or overwhelmed when expected to demonstrate and enjoy relatively modest expressions of affection. The program soon will be evaluated in a research study conducted by the University of Queensland in Australia.
The predisposition to develop a special interest can have other effects on the development of relationship knowledge. The charges tend to be for sexually inappropriate behaviour rather than sexually abusive or sexually violent behaviour. Due to her naivety, the adolescent girl may not recognize that the interest is sexual and not a way for the boy to simply enjoy her personality, company, or conversation.
