Vrienden als je autisme hebt; lust of last?

Friends are a necessity. With your friend, you can visit places, discuss your inner feelings, and they provide feelings of safety and belonging. Yet, does this apply to everyone? Friendships can also have downsides, characterized by pressure to join in, jealousy or dominance. In this article we discuss that autistic young people also need friendships and want to belong, but due to different expectations back and forth, this can be more difficult than for non-autistic young people. Outcomes of our study are also discussed, showing that for young people with and without autism, positive friendships are associated with fewer symptoms of depression, but also with more symptoms of anxiety in autistic girls. The pressure to camouflage their autism may play a role here. Autism as a form of diversity, as is also profiled during the World Autism Acceptance Week in April, can also have added value and give more depth to a friendship.