Autism and Loneliness
While there are dozens of articles on how to help socialize your child with autism, there are only a handful speaking to parents looking to help socialize their autistic adults the same way. As a parent of an adult with autism, I grapple daily with letting go, letting him function without me, and as my husband says, “cut the umbilical” little by little. But while my son is able to coordinate his own transportation to and from work every day, do his own laundry and even check his bank account as he learns to manage his money, he’s not able to retain and maintain friendships that can blossom into love relationships. It’s not for lack of trying. My son is that friend that texts you out of nowhere to “check in.” He’s the friend that knows your interests so well, he’s got them memorized and will show up with the perfect birthday present when he’s invited. There’s the crux of the problem. He’s not always invited. Some of his friends’ parents are as involved in their kids’ lives as we are ...