Loneliness

I would look in to CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) or DBT (Dialectic Behaviour Therapy) for managing his stressors about going outside. A starting point could be Sonny Jane Wise's book "The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills" - there is a section on distress tolerance. I have tried CBT myself when I got agoraphobic and it worked. I made a plan with my therapist to incrementally increase my exposure to going in to town, which previously would have lead me to have a panic attack. In a nutshell it's learning to tolerate an unpredictable situation and having a plan for if your feelings become overwhelming. Sonny Jane Wise's book is very user friendly and I would think your son could use it with your guidance. It also helps with understanding your individual autism profile, as in stressors and sensory sensitivities. Another suggestion I have is for you both to reframe what socialising looks like. Finding what the barriers are for him socialising (e g. Is it the unpredictability of conversation that he struggles with? Is it that he needs longer processing time in a conversation? Or is it some sensory aspect of other people, e g. someone could be wearing strong perfume, that he finds difficult?) and working around that. I know that my barriers to socialising are often environmental, that is where the socialising happens is a barrier, not the actual conversation part of socialising. 

Equine therapy could be a good fit for your son, or an activity like sailing or some kind of outdoor skills course. Here's an overview: https://www.verywellmind.com/equine-therapy-mental-health-treatment-4177932  My son has been volunteering at a local stables and this has had a positive effect for him. He gets to be around other young people where the focus isn't on socialising, his confidence has grown and he is in the moment (mindfulness) caring for the horses. The mindful aspect and routine of caring for other living things can be very therapeutic for anxiety. I've also found volunteering is a good way for me to be around people (I'm autistic too). I get to do something that makes me feel part of a community where the focus isn't on socialising, and spend time with people in a way that's tolerable for me. Some other ideas could be volunteering for an ecology group, for example the Woodland Trust, or conservation groups (there are river trusts all over the country), archaeology groups, geology groups, or anything based around his interests. 

I would look in to CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) or DBT (Dialectic Behaviour Therapy) for managing his stressors about going outside. A starting point could be Sonny Jane Wise's book "The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills" - there is a section on distress tolerance. I have tried CBT myself when I got agoraphobic and it worked. I made a plan with my therapist to incrementally increase my exposure to going in to town, which previously would have lead me to have a panic attack. In a nutshell it's learning to tolerate an unpredictable situation and having a plan for if your feelings become overwhelming. Sonny Jane Wise's book is very user friendly and I would think your son could use it with your guidance. It also helps with understanding your individual autism profile, as in stressors and sensory sensitivities. Another suggestion I have is for you both to reframe what socialising looks like. Finding what the barriers are for him socialising (e g. Is it the unpredictability of conversation that he struggles with? Is it that he needs longer processing time in a conversation? Or is it some sensory aspect of other people, e g. someone could be wearing strong perfume, that he finds difficult?) and working around that. I know that my barriers to socialising are often environmental, that is where the socialising happens is a barrier, not the actual conversation part of socialising. 

Equine therapy could be a good fit for your son, or an activity like sailing or some kind of outdoor skills course. Here's an overview: https://www.verywellmind.com/equine-therapy-mental-health-treatment-4177932  My son has been volunteering at a local stables and this has had a positive effect for him. He gets to be around other young people where the focus isn't on socialising, his confidence has grown and he is in the moment (mindfulness) caring for the horses. The mindful aspect and routine of caring for other living things can be very therapeutic for anxiety. I've also found volunteering is a good way for me to be around people (I'm autistic too). I get to do something that makes me feel part of a community where the focus isn't on socialising, and spend time with people in a way that's tolerable for me. Some other ideas could be volunteering for an ecology group, for example the Woodland Trust, or conservation groups (there are river trusts all over the country), archaeology groups, geology groups, or anything based around his interests.