If you know someone living with autism, then you know this is a condition that affects their ability to express emotions, interact with others, or sometimes complete activities of daily living.
There are an estimated 75 million people in the world living with autism spectrum disorder, which goes to show just how prevalent this condition is.
Chances are, you might find yourself interacting with a guy who has autism, and you might even become the object of his desire.
If this is the case, it’s helpful to know the signs that show an autistic guy likes you!
Below are some of the best signs that a person with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is attracted to you.
Keep in mind that everyone is different, and these symptoms might not hold true for everyone with autism, especially if they are undergoing or have undergone treatment for autism.
Table of Contents
1. Emotionally Sensitive to You
People with high-functioning autism have been shown to have high emotional sensitivity.
For instance, they might find even something simple like running out of gas to be catastrophic and find it difficult to keep their feelings under control.
For people with high-functioning autism, this is just one example of how emotions play a big role in their lives.
If a guy likes you, you might notice he is more emotionally sensitive towards you.
He might show lots of excitement that you’re complimenting his outfit or his ability to lift weights.
Or the opposite is true, where he might take any criticism you have of him and feel extremely upset at this.
2. Try to Clarify to Understand You
For people with high-functioning autism, communication skills can suffer in terms of understanding how others are feeling.
People with autism might not be able to pick up on certain social cues, such as body language, non-verbal communication, and other types of cues.
However, if a guy with autism likes you, he’ll make an effort to understand your emotions just a little better.
He might say things like:
- Is there something bothering you?
- I’m having trouble understanding, could you clarify?
- What exactly is wrong?
Although these types of questions might seem blunt or even rude, it is simply a person with autism’s attempt at understanding you in order to offer help.
Doing so is one of the biggest signs that someone with autism is trying to communicate with you in order to understand you better or even grow closer to you.
3. They Will be Honest with You
Some people with autism might experience sensory overload, which means they feel anxious and upset at certain social functions.
For instance, if a guy with autism is attending a party or wedding or any other event, such as a date, they might want to leave early on to stabilize themselves or get some alone time.
This can be devastating for someone that has never experienced what it’s like to date someone with ASD.
Know that it isn’t your fault, and the guy you’re dating might simply be looking to get some alone time and gather his thoughts before returning to a situation that he feels is overwhelming.
Your date might also want to completely avoid social situations during dates altogether.
In any case, if a guy with autism likes you, he will be very open about why he is hiding from these situations.
He might explain to you the feelings he experiences during social events, and offer to spend time with you in other, less overwhelming settings.
If you’re a social butterfly, try to compromise and talk to your autistic partner about date ideas that aren’t so overwhelming!
4. Is More Nervous Than Usual
Men usually experience nervousness around someone they like, which can be experienced or described as butterflies in the stomach, feeling queasy, or even feeling like they can’t catch their breath.
These are all feelings that are normal for any man, regardless of whether or not they have autism spectrum disorder! Some signs that a guy is nervous around you include:
- Constant fidgeting, which can be even pronounced in people with autism who might adopt repetitive behaviors to soothe themselves (rocking back and forth, twiddling their fingers, playing with a certain object, etc.)
- Sweating or appearing flustered around you
- Blushing when you ask them a question or try to initiate a conversation
- Completely avoiding you, which for people with autism, might happen during social events also
- Smiling constantly as you talk to them
If a guy with autism is nervous around you, try to ease their discomfort by giving them space to process their emotions.
If a guy with autism likes you, he’ll eventually find the courage to talk to you if he is able to initiate communication.
5. He Tries to Insert Himself in Your Conversations
Although some people with autism might speak in a monotone voice and shy away from social interactions, there are others that will try to mimic inflections in the voice of others and actively try to impress others!
There’s nothing wrong with that, and if you find yourself always speaking with an autistic guy who loves to impress you during a chat, this can be a sign that he’s interested in you.
In addition to trying to impress you, he might also keep making gentle eye contact with you.
Some people with ASD might have difficulty with direct, prolonged eye contact.
So, if you catch him making subtle glimpses at you, inching towards you more, and trying to chat with you more than others, this is a pretty good sign that an autistic guy is interested in you.
6. He Tells You Directly
For guys with autism, it can be difficult to answer open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are those that don’t require a yes or no answer.
For instance, if someone asks you, “Do you like work?” or “Do you have any plans for summer vacation?” these are open-ended questions that require more complex thinking and longer answers.
Although these are good conversation starters for people without ASD, these aren’t the best types of questions for people with autism.
On the other hand, using “yes or no” questions are a better way to communicate with autistic people.
It’s always a good idea to avoid pushing issues that make someone with autism uncomfortable.
However, if your partner has been more comfortable with you, expressing more and more of themselves, and you suspect they have a crush on you, you can simply ask them “Do you have a crush on me?” or “Do you like me?”
These types of questions are easier to answer than, “What do you think of me?” or similar types of questions.
Be prepared for a variety of reactions. Some people with autism might be open to telling you, “Yes I do like you,” or “Yes, I do want to date you,” while others will be even shyer and turn away from you.
Be accepting of either reaction and have patience when speaking with someone with ASD.
What Is Autism?
Before we begin our list, it’s important to know what exactly autism is, and how this disorder affects how they show affection.
Is the way people with autism show affection different than those without autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a type of developmental disability that develops in children before the age of three.
This condition can get better or worse over time, depending on whether or not a child has access to occupational therapists, the condition is caught early on, and they continue to get help to improve their social interactions.
People with autism have issues with social communication and also interacting with others.
They might have repetitive behaviors or interests, meaning they want to continue the same routine and any disruption in that routine can affect them negatively.
ASD Differs from Person to Person
It’s important to know that ASD is also a spectrum, meaning that some people with autism might be able to function fully without any help, while others cannot function without the help of someone else.
For instance, some people with autism might be nonverbal, while others might be able to fully communicate with others, get married, have love interests, and live full lives.
For people with mild to moderate levels of ASD, the way in which they communicate might be a bit different than how someone without autism communicates.
This includes the way they communicate feelings of affection and love interests!
Now that you understand that people with autism are on a spectrum and might have a bit of difficulty with social communication, below are some of the ways in which you can tell someone with ASD has an interest in you that is more than just friends.
Final Thoughts
Millions of people around the world and in the United States are living with autism spectrum disorder, with some leading full lives with little help, if any, from other people.
Autism appears differently in different people, and there is no clear physical indication that someone has autism.
For people with autism spectrum disorder, social communication might be an issue, but this doesn’t mean they can’t express their attraction to you.
Use these signs listed above as a gauge for understanding whether or not a guy with ASD is interested in you and do a little more research on ASD and better ways to communicate if you find yourself attracted to them as well!
