When I was trying to find what connection if any my son had to me (I'm his mum btw :)) and my son has asd. I wanted to know because he struggles with a few different things and it made me feel heartbroken for him so I was wondering if he was able to feel that loving connection that you have with family because that is at least something and it's so valuable and important. He said that he didn't feel the bond and that if I weren't here he wouldn't notice..he said he loved me ...in the way that he respects that Ive been there all the while etc and done a lot for him ,but so I don't get it and I wonder if he feels lonely at all as he has no friends etc doesn't go out etc struggles greatly in social situations to the point he just doesn't want to do it.
What was interesting was that the other day he was patting his dog and said "I love him and everything but he really annoys me sometimes " basically the dog had weed on floor earlier as he's very old. But what struck me was that he said he loved him which In all the 12 yrs we've had the dog that is the first and only time he said that and was mostly shocked and very glad to hear he feels a bond with the dog as I didn't think he could experience that important emotion...or maybe I'm perceiving it through my eyes as I'm wondering maybe it's different?? I mean obviously the dog hasn't cooked cleaned and brought him lol like a parent etc...I'm fascinated by this because it could mean he did feel that bond that I and NTs are able to experience because I did read somewhere about children with asd being able to bo d with animals etc.