Can autistic people be outgoing?

Post Reply New Topic

I was just wondering. I often find myself being a little outgoing compared to most. The only problem is that I still struggle with my social skills and how to condone to social norms. I was just wondering if this is possible, especially for those who think they might be aspies. :c It's really confusing for me because of many different reasons.

I was a very autistic little boy.

I was a more "Aspergian" older boy.

When I was an older boy, I used to go up to people and say things such as "Why are you fat?"

I was pretty outgoing to adults, not so outgoing to other children.

Yes Autistics can be outgoing. There are extroverted Aspies as well.

I don't see why not. I find if I know my environment and some people then I can be quite outgoing. Went to a gig the other day got speaking with several people for example. I find what stops me from been outgoing is when I start thinking of rules too much then I start second guessing my actions and just shut down. Funerals and Weddings are good examples of something I have no idea about. At least funerals people expect you to be quite and not want to talk :S

That reminds me of something I said to a close friend the other day "you look 9 months pregnant" good job he knows me

Yes but sometimes being outgoing can come back and haunt them; this is what happens to me

i love hanging out with my cousins but sometimes when i impulsively join them and ruin my schedule i go into shut down mode and become a zombie which makes socializing 10X harder.

My son is one of the most relentlessly outgoing people I've ever met, and he's diagnosed on the spectrum.
He loves interacting with people, but his social skills are terrible.

Yes.

Socially awkward does not necessarily mean shy.

I think that's how I am. I tend to miss out on the social rules of communicating. Most people don't really seem to mind, and if they find out I actually have autism... it baffles them because of how outgoing and social I am at times. They don't believe a moment of my diagnosis. So, I've always wondered if it could be possible for some of us to be. I have some moments where I won't talk at all. I get really shy and timid around people. I've actually noticed this a lot more than usual as well. It all depends on my mood or how well I know the person, along with how well they know me. I mean, I don't like go up to strangers and start talking to them. Sometimes, if people start talking to me... I'll talk back to them also. One of the social rules I've acquired is that it's usually rude to ignore the person. So, I usually talk to them if they speak to me first.

hahaha! This made me laugh out loud!

My in-laws have several stories of my husband doing things like that when he was a kid.

It's possible that my husband's paternal grandfather was also autistic. He was "strange" and "mean" and he died when my husband was little. But they said that after a couple of these awkward declarations from my husband he declared that my husband was the only grandchild he liked.

Bieng outgoing is not a diagnostic criteria for autism.

LOL...nor is being shy

After two drinks I can reliably get thoughts to and out of my mouth. I'm not startled as much by people and I become much more approachable. Perhaps if I knew that it's all in my head, I could actually be outgoing.

I don't think people with Asperger's are inherently any more or less outgoing than anyone else.
However, repeatedly experiencing unexpected and baffling negative interactions causes many autistic folks to become anxious and withdrawn. Other people call this "shy", but it's a coping/defense mechanism rather than an innate part of the person.
My son, so far, is "autistic enough" that he doesn't notice most of the negative feedback he gets during interactions. He is oblivious to dirty looks, snide comments, and attempts to ostracize him from groups. He just shoves his way in (sometimes literally!) and participates. Part of me hopes he one day learns to recognize the way people react to him, and part of me hopes he never, ever does.

Yes. I think there are some that although normally introverted have outgoing phases. Why it happens Idk... full moon, chemical shifts, manic phases, purposeful effort ???

And there have been a few self professed Aspie extroverts on Aspie forums. I have no reason to doubt them but have never met any Irl. I don't think it's common.

I have always had outgoing phases. Some, I finally realized where a manic phase that took a long time to identify. They occur roughly once a month for 3-5 days. I just have the manic part & not the depressive phase. I think I also can 'psych myself up to be outgoing, but its mask wearing business as usual really, just more intense.

Yes, I'm exactly like that! I consider myself quite extroverted within my autism. I think I developed selective mutism because of bullying, but if I'm comfortable with the person, I can be quite outgoing. But I lack social skills, so I sometimes don't know what I should be doing.
Only some people in my family know I'm autistic, but if I told my friends I'm autistic/have AS, I'm almost certain they wouldn't believe me.

Autistic people can be very outgoing but that doesn't mean their social skills are any better. When you're outgoing the way I was when I was a kid, you're more likely to say unintentionally rude and embarrassing things that may be forgiven because you don't know any better at that age but then you become a teenager and suddenly you're supposed to but you don't, so you keep uttering stupid things that humiliate your parents, and then they lecture you for what feels like an eternity and tell you you're older and should know better. And then you think how you really don't and can't understand why, so you become withdrawn because you're afraid to say anything at all, or you apologize all the time because you're so worried you just said something stupid.

Well, that's how it was for me. Years of being told my voice was too loud and the dumb things I said and that just taking me out in public brought shame and disgrace upon my entire family was be enough to shut up almost anyone who isn't a complete narcissist.