My daughter is 10 and in year 6 since starting school she’s never had any friends, she has autism and always refused to speak to or interact with any of the other children. I can’t knock the school they are tried to encourage friendships but it hasn’t worked. As she’s got older the difference between her and the other children has got more noticeable and mentally I would say she’s on the age of a 4/5 year old, so the year 6 children aren’t wanting to be friends with her as they don’t have anything in common with her. dd was never bothered about this as she like I said she’s always refused to engage with any of them. However recently she’s now completely changed and has become desperate for friends, almost fixated with it, I explained to her that she has to make friends at school and that it’s the easiest place she can make them but I think it’s too late now as friendships are solid and she doesn’t really fit in with the children her age now, so it hasn’t happened. At Christmas she did not receive one Christmas card for school, not one. dd is becoming obsessed with getting friends, she can’t attend clubs as she requires 1:1 support. I’ve taken her to a group for autistic children but she did not interact at all with anyone there. But when I pick her up from school she is attempting to run up to strangers and asking them to be her friends, she asking to knock on random doors to “make friends” I’ve told her she can’t do this but it’s the same thing every single day when I pick her up from school and it’s just a challenge getting her home. She is the size of an adult now so can come across as quite intimidating to smaller children.
I just don’t know what to do I feel like I’ve exhausted all avenues for her to make friends but how can I get her to understand she can’t approach strangers? I’ve told her she can’t approach strangers but she doesn’t understand, I hold her hand but she’s strong and pulls away.