no problem meeting new people

[ogsplosh]

my DD ,6, has no problem with meeting new people as long as she is introduced, infact she gets overly friendly, often stroking the person or constantly hugging them. I am told that keeping friendships are harder for her.

 

I am firmly told that she can't have AS as they hate meeting new people, this is certainly true for my husband

[durhamlass]

Sounds like my daughter, who i found ina play place recently stroking the arm of some random tall man and smiling at him like he was an angel. Niamh thought this was great, random man was a little scared to say the least

 

She has a dx of aspergers. she gets over familiar with strangers and would leave on the arm of anyone

 

I truely think I was lucky to get my diagnosis after reading some of the problems on this board!!!

 

xx

[Enid]

My ds was also very over familiar with strangers when he was younger, he used to take a shine to people, and yes sometimes random strangers! so I dont think that would be a reason not to get a diagnosis, but it seems to be different in different areas, although it def shouldnt be. Enid

[sadie]

My DD used to' attach' herself to any person/group of people she'd never met before with my permission or without.

Her first day at school she walked off with the school bus escort and never looked back at me.(OKish). On holiday she joined a group of children playing in the sea(definitely not OK). and followed an elderly couple out of the library onto a main road. (Usually these people didnt know they'd been 'joined',she was non verbal, but sometimes she'd try to take their hands)

[Tally]

I would say that stroking and constantly hugging are problems.

 

A lot of people with AS hate meeting new people, don't know what to say, and become anxious about it. Others are over familiar, talk too much or say the wrong things. The point is not that they don't communicate, but that the communication is often inappropriate.

[sergiosbabe]

When my son, who is now 14, was little, he was really friendly. He too used to go upto strangers and my worry was that he would actually go off with someone if there was nobody there to keep a close eye on him. I have no idea what happended to change that?

[pookie170]

My son used to be like that too. Just like sadie's child, he went off to playgroup, nursery, school etc with nary a backwards glance! But now he is far more aloof with new folk, and quite often disappears after initial introductions..... I think he realised that his former behaviour of over friendliness was inappropriate ( years of 'Please dont do that again'-ing must have got the message through somehow!) and is now unsure of what to do. When we manage to bring him back-we've learned not to push this though- his attempts at communication are very coherent, but off on a tangent- he simply starts a new conversation about whatever is his interest at the time. Possibly because he might not know how to join the current conversation, but could wax lyrical about the sims till the cows come home...and longer!

I have let this go, but am now attempting to explain to him how conversation should go, theoretically speaking.....that its perfectly alright to talk about his interests, but not to do this by interrupting someone else and changing subject suddenly. He doesn't see how the other person could know that they'd been boring him!

Poor lad, not only are we adults boring, but we're confusing the heck out of him too!

 

Esther x