How people with Autism experience social relationships

Abstract

Social communication is a significant lifelong challenge for people on the autism spectrum condition. There is currently a dearth of research on how such young adults experience social relationships. This study aimed to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of their experience of social relationships through qualitative design. Five young adults with an autism spectrum condition responded to a semi-structured interview about their relationships. A reflexive Thematic Analysis of the data showed that they experienced substantial challenges during social interaction with neurotypical peers. Nevertheless, the findings also showed that all participants sought and succeeded to build and maintain close social relationships and that these could be facilitated or hindered by societal attitudes and behaviours. The study concludes that a component of the difficulty in social communication for young adults with an autism spectrum condition is a result of a lack of understanding and acceptance from neurotypical peers.