Hi
DS is at uni, first year. Currently at home, learning online. But was in halls quite disastrously as the flat he was put in had no one else turn up due to Covid so he was alone in the November lockdown and isolated. He has struggled to make friends. A lot of this is circumstance, but he also definitely isn't picking up on cues and today went into uni to meet 'friends' for lunch, waited 1.5 hours after the time he thought they'd agreed to meet, then finally caught up with them and they made their excuses after 15 minutes. He came home deeply upset and said he is so lonely.
I couldn't work out whether he had misread the social cues and they'd been trying to hint that they didn't want to meet, or whether he hadn't made it clear he thought it was a firm arrangement, or whether they are just not that nice and were messing him around because he is low priority to them.
Does anyone know of any good resources for young adults with ASD, especially HFA ones, to help build their confidence and social skills? Are there any books or courses? He doesn't present as typically ASD - doesn't talk at people or stand too close but he is quite intense and literal and he hugely over-analyses social situations and sets massive store by them. E.g. He won't just go to a party. He'll go with the intention of meeting someone new who will end up being one of his best friends for life. I've tried to explain this level of intensity puts people off, but it's hard.
Has anyone found things get any easier socially?