ABSTRACT
This chapter describes 'Normal children acquire the necessary social habits without being consciously aware of them, they learn instinctively. It is these instinctive social relations that are disturbed in autistic children. Social adaptation has to proceed via the intellect'. Those with AS might perceive some people in the neurotypical world as social zealots, prioritising socialising above anything else and expecting everybody to find socialising easy, natural and rewarding. There is a paradox in that socialising and friendship can be one of the biggest insulators against stress, low mood, low self-esteem, and can also act in the role of protector from real or perceived threats and help with problem solving. Friendships and relationships are complicated, emotional and unpredictable, which is all very challenging for people with AS, who often report as having fewer friendships and present as struggling to maintain relationships with less satisfying social lives.
