(16M) I am autistic, I have no idea of how to interact with others.

Everytime I talk, I say nonsense, I tried to engage in random conversations even with people I don’t know. For example, if someone sitting next to me is talking about cars, I would just give them a fun fact about cars. Even if I never talked with that person, and usually, when I apologise for intruding conversations like that, people say that they don’t mind (which I doubt).

One time as I was sitting alone at lunch, a group of guys told me to not sit alone and to come with them. I said nothing the whole conversation. They slowly started to look at each other in an awkward way, like they expected me to talk or something, then I heard one of them saying something about me and others started to giggle. At that point, I didn’t know what to say and I was too scared to screw up my only opportunity to make friends.

I started following those guys around at recess, just silently without saying a word. I consider them as my friends, but they started to ignore me lately. Recently, one of them just told me to stop following them like that because it makes them uncomfortable, so I stopped.

By saying nonsense, I mean that when I talk, I stutter a lot, talk for too much, and always make random conversations about deep subjects by including philosophy etc..

Any advice? I feel way too behind in social interactions, yet, when I am talking with my younger brother, I always come off as normal.

2 comments
  1. Do you have a speech therapist? They would be able to help you with your stutter. You could possibly find some practices online if professional help isn’t possible.

    Beyond that, you just need practice socializing. Some teenagers your age might be brutal but not everyone is. You could look for a club that interests you.

  2. Making friends is tough. Ten years from now, those guys might not even be in touch with each other. Hang in there.

    Try considering the other person in your conversations. For example, if you hear someone likes video games, ask for their recommendations. They’ll be glad to share.

    Part of having confidence is accepting yourself. That said, keep striving to improve. Just like running or weightlifting, you’ll get better if you keep trying.

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