Wow, 9CatMom. That pretty much said it all!
Anyway, I think you have to ask yourself why your son doesn't have friends. Is it because he chooses not to or because he's being ostracized by the other children? If it's the former, I kind of have to agree with strongernow on this one. If he's happy being without friends, then that's fine. You should still encourage him to engage in social interactions, but if he truly doesn't care about it, then that's just the way it is. It may be sad to you, but not affect him in any way whatsoever. (Obviously, if he's being tormented for any reason, that's a whole other story.) I'm a 19-year-old Aspie who loves being by herself. When I'm lonely, which is rare, it's only when it's the middle of the afternoon during summer vacation, and I'm bored out-of-my-mind and want my mom to come home from work so I don't worry in the silence. My mother is always telling me that I should go out and meet people, but that's just not my bag. She knows that. A couple high school friends want me to go out to dinner with them tomorrow night before we go back to college. I'm going, but I'd just as rather not. I'd be much happier home by myself in my room than out with them. Sure, I have fun with them and enjoy being with them- for a limited time- but solitude is far more fun. Like strongernow said, it's not hurting me. I don't have severe social deficits because I don't have the textbook case of Asperger's, so that may be why, but still, I don't see anything wrong with not wanting to be around peers. Maybe this isn't the right advice to give because I was only diagnosed a few months ago, but all I know is this: I'm happiest when I'm by myself. Whenever I am with my handful of friends, I always hit a point where I can't wait to escape and be by myself. It even happens with my mom and grandmother, the only two people I truly love being around. Maybe that's not healthy, but it's true...
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
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