Social

Social skills come naturally to most neurotypical people.   Making friends and having a conversation are not something they have to think about.  In fact, most NTs enjoy social interaction. 

However, for those on the spectrum, just the thought of social interaction can be a nightmare.  For others, it may be a disaster they don’t even notice.   And yet still for some, there may be just a slight tinge of awkwardness or very little disruption in their social skills at all.  

Some of the most common social differences a person with Autism may demonstrate are difficulty making eye contact, difficulty forming and maintaining friendships, struggling to relate to others (or putting themselves in “someone else’s shoes”), working or playing in groups, difficulty maintaining personal space, and reading facial expressions and body language. 

People with Autism tend to be overly trusting and naïve, which allows them to be easy targets for bullying.  

An Autistic person may have difficulty understanding jokes.  Sarcasm is totally lost on them, and figures of speech take on a literal meaning.  For example, saying put yourself in “someone else’s shoes” to someone with Autism might result in them literally trying on someone else’s shoes.