There are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about neurodivergent people and our social abilities and needs, but we both need and deserve to have healthy relationships and feel like we belong just as much as anyone else.
Keep reading to debunk so more stereotypes and misconceptions about our social abilities.
Some Common Austim Myths
We don't care about socialising and aren’t interested in having friends.
We are incapable of having empathy for other people.
We are Self centred - Only ever want to talk about their own interests.
We are always shy or introverted.
The Truth about Autistic people
Want, need and deserve friendship just like anyone else
Often a great deal of empathy for others, sometimes an overwhelming amount.
Enjoy connecting with other people over shared interests.
Are sometimes shy, but sometimes very outgoing.
Some Common ADHD Myths
We don’t really care about their friends enough to make plans or stay in touch.
We don’t respect or care about other people’s time.
We are super confident because they are so outgoing and friendly.
The Truth About ADHD people
Have executive functioning differences that can make it difficult to stay in touch or make plans.
Often have time-blindness issues that make it very hard to manage their time.
Are often incredibly vulnerable and sensitive to rejection, even if they seem loud and outgoing.
Are not always outgoing, loud, or overtly energetic.
Our communication style is not wrong.
The biggest misconception about neurodivergent people when it comes to being social, is that there’s something wrong, broken, or missing about us and the way we socialise.
That’s just not true.
The truth is that many neurodivergent people do socialise differently, but that doesn’t mean that the way we communicate and connect is wrong.
We do care, very deeply. We often do want to be social and have a great deal of empathy for other people. We have a lot to offer when it comes to love, kindness, loyalty and respect for other people. And we are still incredibly deserving of love, connection, attention and affection.
We certainly don't lack anything. We just experience the world differently and express things differently.
The Impacts
Like it or not, those differences do have real-world impacts on us as neurodivergent people.
Without the right support and information, being differently social can lead to:
Social anxiety
Rejection Sensitivity
Masking
Loneliness
Difficulty making friends
This can have impacts on your career because often jobs are not only about being able to perform your tasks well. They're also about being able to connect and get along with the people around you.
And for those who are interested in romantic relationships and experience romantic or sexual attraction, it can impact their ability to find people to connect with romantically or sexually.
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