Friends and lovers: the relationships of autistic and neurotypical women (original) (raw)
Related papers
Romantic Intimacy in Autism: A Qualitative Analysis
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2020
Although autistic people have difficulties with social-emotional reciprocity, most still desire intimate romantic relationships. This study sought to identify enablers and barriers to emotional and physical intimacy for Autistic (n = 31) and non-autistic (n = 26) individuals. All participants completed an online survey including demographic information, the Autism Spectrum Quotient and questions on intimacy which were subject to thematic analysis. Enablers of intimacy for both groups included communication, sharing and similarity, respect and safety for self and other, and working on the relationship. Barriers for both groups included intra-and interpersonal conflicts; autistic people specifically highlighted uncertainty about relationships and communication. These findings suggest autistic and non-autistic people have similar notions of intimacy, yet have different challenges in experiencing it.
Parent perspectives on autistic girls' friendships and futures
Background and aims: Young people's parents often play a key role in facilitating friendships and have their own views on these friendships. Yet parents have rarely been asked to report on the friendships and peer relationships of their autistic children. This study therefore sought to examine parents' perspectives on the friendships and social difficulties of their autistic daughters, and their views and concerns about their daughters' futures. Methods: Twenty parents of autistic adolescent girls, aged between 11 and 18 years, took part in semi-structured interviews on the topics of friendships, conflict and thoughts about adulthood and the future. Results: Results demonstrated that parents often have significant involvement in their daughters' social lives and friendships and have a range of views on these relationships. They highlighted both benefits and pitfalls of their daughters' peer interactions, and the perceived negative influence of these interactions on their daughters' mental health. Most parents had significant concerns about their daughters' futures, either about their ability to live independently, or their potential vulnerability to exploitation. Despite these concerns around sexual relationships, some parents were avoiding raising the issue with their daughters. Conclusions: Adolescent autistic girls often have positive, close friendships, but can also be the victims of bullying, with significant negative impacts on their mental health, at least according to their parents. Concerns about girls' development into adulthood were commonplace, with parents taking a range of approaches to attempt to talk about the future with their daughters. Implications: There is an urgent need for more open conversations to help autistic girls stay safe and secure as they mature, supporting their ability to understand and negotiate more intimate social relationships. Future research should examine these changing relationships as autistic girls' transition to adulthood and should seek to combine the views of parents alongside the young people themselves.
SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN AUTISTIC FEMALES
There are compounding contributory factors which typically put the young autistic female at up to three times greater risk of suffering domestic and sexual violence, than her non-autistic peers. Research on the intersection of sexual victimization, trauma, and autism is in its infancy, but in order to decrease the risk it is important to start to understand the mechanisms at work.
Dating and Courtship Behaviors Among Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sexuality and Disability, 2019
There has been growing concern among stakeholders about individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their sexual and intimate relationship experience, and their ability to pursue and maintain interpersonal relationships in a healthy manner. ASD is characterized, in part, by communication and socialization deficits, which may lead to miscommunications, inappropriate communications, or inappropriate actions towards romantic interests. This study sought to describe the romantic experiences of a small sample of individuals with ASD and explore any inappropriate courtship behaviors while pursuing a romantic interest.
Mediators of the Link Between Autistic Traits and Relationship Satisfaction in a Non-Clinical Sample
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2010
People with ASD have deficits in their social skills and may therefore experience lower relationship satisfaction. This study investigated possible mechanisms to explain whether and how autistic traits, measured with the AQ, influence relationship satisfaction in a non-clinical sample of 195 married couples. More autistic traits were associated with lower relationship satisfaction for husbands but not for wives. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that husbands' responsiveness towards their wives, trust, and intimacy mediated this link between autistic traits and relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that autistic traits may hamper men's relationship satisfaction because they impede relationship-specific feelings and behavior. There was no partner-effect of autistic traits, indicating that more autistic traits do not necessarily influence the partner's perceptions of relationship satisfaction.
Journal of clinical psychology, 2016
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulties in maintaining romantic relationships. In this study high-functioning adults with ASD were examined concerning their romantic relationship interest and experience. Participants, 31 recruited via an outpatient clinic and 198 via an online survey, were asked to answer a number of self-report questionnaires. The total sample comprised 229 high-functioning adults with ASD (40% males, average age: 35 years). Of the total sample, 73% indicated romantic relationship experience and only 7% had no desire to be in a romantic relationship. ASD individuals whose partner was also on the autism spectrum were significantly more satisfied with their relationship than those with neurotypical partners. Severity of autism, schizoid symptoms, empathy skills, and need for social support were not correlated with relationship status. Our findings indicate that the vast majority of high-functioning adults with ASD are interested ...
The Friendship Questionnaire, autism, and gender differences: a study revisited
Molecular Autism
Background The Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) is a widely used measure of friendships in autism research and beyond. This study sought to revisit the original paper where the measure was presented, using a larger sample of both autistic and non-autistic participants to examine gender differences in scoring. It also sought to expand upon the original paper by comparing FQ results to those of the Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (URCS), to examine whether there are differences in how autistic people report on their general friendships in contrast to their most significant relationships. Methods Participants were recruited for an online study, and 949 people (532 autistic, 417 non-autistic) aged between 18 and 81 took part. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Autism Quotient-28, the Friendship Questionnaire, and the Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale. Results We used robust regressions and Pearson’s correlational analyses, conducted in R. Autistic...
This mixed-methods study examined gender differences in the friendships and conflict experiences of autistic girls and boys relative to their neurotypical peers. One hundred and two adolescents (27 autistic girls, 26 autistic boys, 26 neurotypical girls, 23 neurotypical boys), aged between 11 and 18 years completed the Friendship Qualities Scale (FQS), the Revised Peer Experiences Questionnaire (RPEQ) and were interviewed about their friendships. Results demonstrated that in many ways, the friendships and social experiences of autistic girls are similar to those of neurotypical girls. Autistic girls, however, have significantly more social challenges than their neurotypical peers, experiencing more conflict, and finding that conflict harder to manage successfully. Autistic boys showed quantitatively different friendship patterns to all other groups. There were consistent gender differences in the type of conflict which boys and girls experienced, regardless of diagnostic status. These finding suggest that gender, rather than diagnosis per se, plays a critical role in the way that autistic adolescents perceive and experience their social relationships.