“There’s No Pretense Needed”: Autistic Perspectives on Autistic Friendships

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Finke, E. H. & Dunn, D. (2026). “There’s No Pretense Needed”: Autistic Perspectives on Autistic Friendships. Autism, 30(9), 2260-2271. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613261464197

Publication date: 16 Jul 2026 Added to AutiHub: 13 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
  1. Erinn H. Finke
  2. Danny Dunn *

Abstract

Assumptions about autistic sociality have shaped dominant understandings of friendship, often positioning autistic relationships as fragile, shallow, or inherently lacking. These framings stand in contrast to autistic people’s own accounts of friendship as meaningful, sustaining, and deeply valued. This qualitative study explored autistic perspectives on friendship through joint, semistructured interviews with 11 friendship dyads (22 participants), including 20 autistic young adults and their self-identified friends (autistic or nonautistic). Dyadic interviews supported the coconstruction of relational meaning, and data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis informed by neurodiversity-affirming and double empathy frameworks. Participants described friendships as mutual, chosen, and grounded in acceptance, authenticity, and flexible reciprocity rather than neurotypical social expectations. Friendship quality was defined by depth of understanding and felt connection rather than frequency of interaction or proximity. Across themes, acceptance and authenticity supported unmasking, mutual understanding, adaptive reciprocity, and sustained connection over time. These findings challenge deficit-based models of autistic sociality and highlight autistic friendship as a sophisticated form of relational connection grounded in autistic strengths and values. Lay Abstract Many stereotypes suggest that autistic people struggle to form meaningful friendships. However, autistic people often describe their friendships as deeply important and rewarding. In this study, autistic young adults and their friends participated in interviews about what friendship means to them and how friendships grow and last over time. Participants described friendship as being built on acceptance, honesty, shared understanding, and flexibility rather than pressure to act “normal.” Friends supported each other emotionally, adapted to each other’s needs, and maintained connection in ways that worked for them. Participants also emphasized the importance of being able to unmask and feel authentic in friendship. These findings challenge deficit-based views of autistic social relationships and highlight the strengths, care, and mutual support present in autistic friendships.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 19 Sep 2026 23:31.

Cited references
35
With a DOI
32
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
3
4 / 35 (11.4%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 35 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
35 / 35 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
2
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
109
From DOI or external metadata
109
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
50 / 109 (45.9%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 59 / 109 (54.1%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
5 / 109 (4.6%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 5 / 50 (10.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 4 / 87 (4.6%).
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