ABSTRACT
Many children who have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum have difficulty in making friends, and older students and adults may also have problems in forming and maintaining relationships of various kinds, including family relationships. The problems seem to lie in several main areas: understanding the nature and purpose of friendship; identifying potential friends; working out how to start a friendship; knowing how to maintain it; and, sometimes, how to finish it. There may also be difficulties in understanding the connections and differences between friendship and dating, and when and how to progress from one to the other. The ideas offered in this chapter come from author's own work, and are general themes which are intended to help not only those on the spectrum, but also other clients who, for various reasons, simply have not gained much experience in forming friendships. The outcomes of the activities are greatly improved when they are accompanied by discussion.
