“That impending dread sort of feeling”: Experiences of social interaction from the perspectives of autistic adults

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Black, M. H., Clarke, P., Deane, E., Smith, D., Wiltshire, G., Yates, E. D., Lawson, W., & Chen, N. T. M. (2022). “That impending dread sort of feeling”: Experiences of social interaction from the perspectives of autistic adults. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 101, 102090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2022.102090

Publication date: 20 Dec 2022 Added to AutiHub: 6 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
8
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 8 (12.5%)
  1. Melissa H. Black
  2. Patrick Clarke
  3. Evangeline Deane
  4. Dayna Smith
  1. Grace Wiltshire
  2. Emily D. Yates
  3. Wenn Lawson *
  4. Nigel T. M. Chen

Abstract

Quantitative research increasingly suggests that many autistic adults experience heightened levels of anxiety during social interaction. While anxiety related to social interactions is prevalent in the autistic population, little is known about how autistic individuals experience social situations – from anticipatory stages, through to in-vivo and post-event processing, and how these experiences may relate to social anxiety within the specific context of autistic adult populations. This study sought to qualitatively explore the perspectives of autistic individuals in relation to their experience of social situations, with the aim of examining how these experiences may relate to anxiety during social interactions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 autistic adults with data being analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis to identify themes relevant to each stage of social interaction. Themes derived from autistic adult participants suggest that several anxiety-related processes may be operating in autism, influencing social interaction experiences. Specifically, the sensory environment, topic of conversation and conversation partner, were identified as influencing the perceived success and comfort of interactions. Feelings of anxiety, as well as self-monitoring and adaptive morphing were often identified as exhausting. Findings indicate a need to consider how anxiety and environmental factors influence the experiences of social interaction and communication for autistic adults.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
49
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
6 / 49 (12.2%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
8 / 124 (6.5%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 8 / 50 (16.0%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 6 / 106 (5.7%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
50 / 124 (40.3%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 34 / 106 (32.1%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
42 / 50 (84.0%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 42 / 124 (33.9%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 28 / 34 (82.4%).
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