Any idea on support

Hello all I know this may sound strange

I'm looking for support to learn more social and have more understanding of the social cues in intimacy or social settings 

I'm 35 I have autism and I fell although I'm 35 my social skills are very far behind I would like skills more of a 14-15 year old teenager 

I have done therapy to close the book on my traumas as a child I was heavily bullied I didn't have any friends growing up this happen from primary to secondary school. 

As a older teenager I did try to get a gf but I was often meet with rejection back than the rejection was quite harsh. 

I do fell rte bullying and rejection I faced from ages 8-22 has stunned my social development a lot for example I struggle with friendships reading social cues and never had a intermate relationship 

I would like to do but I fear the rejection but I also fear getting it wrong and screwing it up 

I just wondering if there's any courses or stuff I can do to help me devolpe social skills and being them up to date to a man of my age so I can do things more socially and start having intermate relationships as I always fear of getting it wrong or missing the hidden social cues

Thanks you reading 

Parents
  • I do fell rte bullying and rejection I faced from ages 8-22 has stunned my social development

    This can be a chicken and egg situation but I'm pretty certain the stunted social development would stem from the autism and be the cause of the bullying, hence compounding the social development etc.

    I just wondering if there's any courses

    Not that I'm aware of. I did write a post here to see if people were interested in me writing an article that would explain how to socialise, understand the cues and learn to interact with less friction but there was almost no response, so the community spoke through its silence.

    There are plenty of sources of information online to study - probably start with body language and then read up on social norms and conversation cues, how to make small talk and how to express yourself.

    It is a lot of work - I spent years working through stuff around this but it allowed me to interact with dozens to hundreds of people a day at work (I was a technical support manager) and be able to pass as "normal and likable".

    Your best start is probably your therapist - build up a plan of attack and use time with them to role play to get to use some of the things you learn. Start going to group events (special interests are a good source of ideas for these) and get yourself out there for as long as you feel comfortable and practice in a low stakes situation.

    The dating scene is a whole different monster - there are so many rule books and broken people out there that it is scary. I found it safer not to disclose my autism but be up front about my traits, so would use things like "I don't play games so if you want something then ask, if you want to know something then ask and I will give you an honest answer if I can. I will expect the same in return" and this actually gets results.

    This especially applies to intimacy (if you mean sexual intimacy) - these days consent if first and foremost even if it can ofen kill the mood. Be clear that you expect your partner to ask for what they want to do and be ready to ask for your own wants/needs. It builds trust and if you want something less vanilla then it is best to be up front and ask if this is something they would consider, but most likely you won't get to tie them up and peg them until at least the fourth date...

    If you don't like loud environments for example. say so. Don't say it is because of your autism but make it a personal choice and own it.

    If you are fussy about what you eat, be clear what you can eat and ask them not to judge.

    Take time and listen to what they have to say. Learn the art of having a conversation, use open ended questions abd be inquisitive. It can be great fun when you get into it.

    These are just my thoughts on the subject as a man in his late 50s - I hope something in that word salad was useful.

Reply
  • I do fell rte bullying and rejection I faced from ages 8-22 has stunned my social development

    This can be a chicken and egg situation but I'm pretty certain the stunted social development would stem from the autism and be the cause of the bullying, hence compounding the social development etc.

    I just wondering if there's any courses

    Not that I'm aware of. I did write a post here to see if people were interested in me writing an article that would explain how to socialise, understand the cues and learn to interact with less friction but there was almost no response, so the community spoke through its silence.

    There are plenty of sources of information online to study - probably start with body language and then read up on social norms and conversation cues, how to make small talk and how to express yourself.

    It is a lot of work - I spent years working through stuff around this but it allowed me to interact with dozens to hundreds of people a day at work (I was a technical support manager) and be able to pass as "normal and likable".

    Your best start is probably your therapist - build up a plan of attack and use time with them to role play to get to use some of the things you learn. Start going to group events (special interests are a good source of ideas for these) and get yourself out there for as long as you feel comfortable and practice in a low stakes situation.

    The dating scene is a whole different monster - there are so many rule books and broken people out there that it is scary. I found it safer not to disclose my autism but be up front about my traits, so would use things like "I don't play games so if you want something then ask, if you want to know something then ask and I will give you an honest answer if I can. I will expect the same in return" and this actually gets results.

    This especially applies to intimacy (if you mean sexual intimacy) - these days consent if first and foremost even if it can ofen kill the mood. Be clear that you expect your partner to ask for what they want to do and be ready to ask for your own wants/needs. It builds trust and if you want something less vanilla then it is best to be up front and ask if this is something they would consider, but most likely you won't get to tie them up and peg them until at least the fourth date...

    If you don't like loud environments for example. say so. Don't say it is because of your autism but make it a personal choice and own it.

    If you are fussy about what you eat, be clear what you can eat and ask them not to judge.

    Take time and listen to what they have to say. Learn the art of having a conversation, use open ended questions abd be inquisitive. It can be great fun when you get into it.

    These are just my thoughts on the subject as a man in his late 50s - I hope something in that word salad was useful.

Children
  • Thank you for the quick reply 

    Yes that was quite useful 

    Yes I think the ASD did cause the bullying it was years and years and when it coupled with rejection from women aswell it did really cause me problems 

    I know many people who has not got ASD has some sort of I think it called a rhythm like in intermate relationships they can do it without killing the mood. I know but consent but my worry is over asking and checking in every time and making sure I do it right as many people learn that skill growing up I didn't as I was often rejected as a teenager it was very harsh and down putting rejection but as a adult I say 21+ it was more of the kind rejection like I'm not your type of they said that I accept it. 

    The bullying was I don't know why I was heavily bullied as being gay which I'm not I think it was because I didn't act like that so back than if it was odd or not with that thing it was labeled that way it didn't really help with the rejection from women at that time 

    It's like I'm feeling I'm getting old and I fell that I have no skills and is behind of what a man my age should be if that makes sense 

    Yes online dating is very hard sometimes you fell you doing okay only to arrange a date and no one shows up 

    I think finding astronomy groups (space things) could be a start but that might help with the friendship side but not the other side as I do find that stuff interesting and that 

    My other problem is I find is when watching films or top TV shows I struggle to understand it or get it like family behaviour watching a film about something and when we talk about it I be clueless or say something that I mis understood about it 

    I know the social cues can be quite hard as I do try to copy it but when I do it people find it odd but they can do it well