Social interaction is communication that occurs between at least two individuals. It involves the behaviour of individuals who are partaking in a joint activity.

Interaction doesn’t always use language but should generate a response. Autisitic girls and women can show a fundamental misunderstanding of social rules.

Girls and women on the spectrum are great actresses. They have watched others and learnt the social rules. On the surface it looks as though they are socially competent, maintaining appropriate relationships, however, if you scratch below the surface you might notice…

• May present as loners or may have one or two close friends.
• Will present as more immature than their peers and therefore be unable to keep up or join in with conversations about latest tv programmes / pop stars etc.
• Fashion choices may be immature.
• Non verbal communication is ignored or misunderstood

Play might be repetitive, acting out the same scenario – “let’s play Frozen again” or they may be the child that hangs around the teacher each playtime as it’s too hard to integrate into established play activities. Imaginative play will be quite challenging and may need to be modelled and taught.

• Interactions might be inappropriate-Use of language that might hurt another’s feelings without any concept of the effect of those words. They appear surprised when their friend is upset.
• Can struggle to initiate an interaction with others- for example to ask if they can join in an already established game. As a result they may be the child that hangs around the teacher at playtime. They do want to join in but can’t always do this appropriately.
• In conversations, girls and women can become fixated on seemingly irrelevant details which can cause frustrations for the speaker.
• Quick interactions are impossible due to the complexities of processing delays
• A lack of understanding of social rules and poor theory of mind can mean that girls and women on the spectrum can be a bit too direct or honest, not realizing that this could hurt feelings
• Can parrot words or phrases learnt in a different context.
• Avoidance of playtimes for autistic girls
• Difficulties identifying emotions in others and knowing what to say to help.
• Exhaustion after a social occasion
• Difficulties understanding and interpreting other people’s thoughts feelings and actions.
• Social naivety- being passive or vulnerable to manipulation.
• Development of multiple personalities to fit in with whichever group they are with at the time.
• Becoming obsessed with particular people
• Choosing to play with older or younger children.
• Difficulties separating from caregiver
• Difficulties solving social conflicts
• Over reliance on mum to be their friend and mentor to negotiate their way through the world.
• Specific interests may be followed and shared whenever possible- whether invited or not
• Imaginary friends
• In relationships girls and women can forget that it is a 2-way street, often relying on friends / partners for support without giving the same support back. The needs of the other person are simply not seen
• Standing too close or invading personal space when speaking is a commonly seen behaviour.