Wanting to meet autistic people to build a friendship with

Hi. Newly self diagnosed (on the wait list for formal diagnosis) late 40s male .. in much the same boat.

Thank you for commenting Touay, when did you first realise you might be autistic? For me I started researching a year & half ago, tried 3 times to get on the NHS waiting list but was dismissed due to previous diagnosis's of OCD, anxiety and panic disorder. Finally I decided to go privately!

I have suspected for some time. I tried to get assessed 10 years or so ago, but was incorrectly told i wasnt after a 15 minute interview.   I have tried again and have been on the nhs wait list for 6 months or so now.

Regardless of the outcome there, i know i am autistic.  I did a whole bunch of research recently that has confirmed it ... unfortunately i am having a hard time reconfiguring my brain to this new reality and how i need to intetact with people.

Perhaps you coukd write this :) There are also some great books on "boundaries" out there, often geared towards highly sensitive (HSP) and empathic folks, which I think are super relevant to the autistic community. 

I hope you do! If family or friends aren't then hopefully you'll find some fellow autistics online 

Thanks Chloe ... i guess i need to work on finding someone like that! :-)

A safe person would be someone you can be your authentic self with, someone who you don't feel is judging you or your autistic traits. Someone you can stim around. Someone who will educate themselves on autism and how it presents itself in you and also not being judged by your different way of communicating (different body language or less eye contact etc) - the way you'd naturally interact.

That sounds reasonable. is there any guidance on how to tell who a safe person would be?

I know, there should be an online guidebook or a handbook on how to become your authentic self.

What I've learnt through therapy is that learning how to socialise "better" could mean I'd be masking more for other peoples benefit and not my own. So it's more, how do I unmask with my "safe" people and have them meet me in the middle.

I know, there should be an online guidebook or a handbook on how to become your authentic self.

What I've learnt through therapy is that learning how to socialise "better" could mean I'd be masking more for other peoples benefit and not my own. So it's more, how do I unmask with my "safe" people and have them meet me in the middle.

Perhaps you coukd write this :) There are also some great books on "boundaries" out there, often geared towards highly sensitive (HSP) and empathic folks, which I think are super relevant to the autistic community. 

I hope you do! If family or friends aren't then hopefully you'll find some fellow autistics online 

Thanks Chloe ... i guess i need to work on finding someone like that! :-)

A safe person would be someone you can be your authentic self with, someone who you don't feel is judging you or your autistic traits. Someone you can stim around. Someone who will educate themselves on autism and how it presents itself in you and also not being judged by your different way of communicating (different body language or less eye contact etc) - the way you'd naturally interact.

That sounds reasonable. is there any guidance on how to tell who a safe person would be?