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SPRING NEWSLETTER
Staff Check-In
Chris Perdziola, Resource and Support Specialist
We are frequently contacted by autistic adults (or their personal advocates) wanting to develop genuine friendships. Autistic people can and do form friendships with both neurotypical and autistic peers, even if their interactions sometimes look different from those among neurotypical people.
This reframed view of friendship acknowledges and encourages a better understanding of the social lives of autistic people. It recognizes the challenges some autistic people face in creating close relationships, including difficulties in processing social information and the double empathy problem.
We connect them with our support groups that offer many opportunities for social interaction with others on the spectrum. We also advise them regarding other possible resources and provide personalized ideas that may help expand their horizons. Nothing is impossible in terms of friendships for people with autism. We support them in their quest develop meaningful relationships that work for them.