Can I have a typical example of an autistic child's inability to form social relationships?

Answer 1

It's different with every child, and depending on the severity. A classically autistic child does not relate to the world in which he lives, so they will hide away so to speak, often not even associating with his parents. A mild to moderate child typically has severe sensory issues that make it hard to process their world, so they are so busy focusing on processing that they can't focus on others, and it increases their anxieties. Some kids sensory problems cause physical touch to hurt them, making them stay away from people. But the underlying issue with autism is that they typically are self-centered, and therefore can't fathom how somebody else feels, how their actions affect others. Without having that empathy, it makes social interaction really hard. My son who is very mild, is over-sympathetic to me and his dad. If we laugh to hard he thinks we're crying,and gets really upset and worried about us. But, he has a hard time with others because he doesn't know how to read social cues. He wants to hug everyone,whether they want it or not. He thinks everyone should be doing the same thing he is, and gets really upset when they don't, which causes other kids to shy away from him because they don't know what will set him off. So, it's a loaded question that you asked. And yes, vocabulary and speech do affect their ability to interact with others, that's another of my son's problems. He can talk, but it's very poor, and I usually have to translate for him. As he gets older, all of these issues will be more of a problem if he doesn't improve, because older kids will think he's 'weird' and shy away from him.

Answer 2

With a severely autistic child, their ability to communicate is severely limited...they are very much in their own little world. With milder forms (high functioning/ Asperger's) there is trouble making eye contact, an inability to read social cues (ex: do not understand the concept of "personal space"), & a tendency to takes people's words literally. Often they show no interest whatsoever in what the other children are doing.

Answer 3

Autism can come in a variety of forms. Some children may appear to act completely normal at first but have anxieties about social situations. Others cannot speak at all, while others can speak but have a limited vocabulary. It depends on the child's specific case.

Answer 4

The deal with children with autism is that they do not have the ability for joint attention. They don't have the ability to show someone something or understand other people's actions or intentions. Part of this is also related to the inability to make eye contact and all that means to humans.

Answer 5

In mild cases there is generally less interest in other people relative to a non-autistic child.

Incidentally, mild cases aren't very rare.

Answer 6

Autistic children are unable to speak clearly.... if at all....which is ONE reason why they would be unable to form social relationships

Answer 7

You might see a kid sitting alone while everybody else is out playing at recess. Or somebody introduces themselves and they go all stiff.