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Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that influences how people communicate and process information. A significant proportion of autistic children do not speak or speak only a few words. Many find it difficult to communicate face to face, especially when interaction is fast-moving or dependent on interpreting bodily cues.

Social media offers what can be an easier way for autistic people to interact socially. When communication takes place over text, there is no need to make eye contact or interpret facial expressions. There is also more time to read a message, consider a reply and participate without the sensory demands of a busy room. Although online interactions are not free of misunderstanding, for some autistic young people they provide a form of social contact that is more manageable than many physical settings.

Many autistic people have at least one area of highly intense interest. These interests can often be quite niche, so there may not be any local clubs or groups.

As part of the Autism in Affinity Spaces project, based at Queen Mary University of London, we are investigating how and why young autistic people in the U.K. use social media to engage with their focused interests during the transition to adulthood. We have conducted a survey of 144 young people ages 16 to 26 to find out more about their experiences.

Since social media offers connections across the globe, our participants told us that they used spaces such as Facebook groups and Discord servers to connect with people who shared their interests and understood why they mattered.

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