Autism, Dating and Relationships with Thomas Henley

Listen to "Autism, Dating and Relationships with Thomas Henley".

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Thomas Henley from Aspergers Growth, who is a YouTuber, podcaster, and speaker on topics around autism and mental health. Thomas discusses autism, dating, and relationships, and also the different issues that might come up in a relationship between a neurotypical person and a non-neurotypical person. He and Hannah talk about communication, and learning how to flirt and recognise flirting, and finally, Hannah and Thomas discuss potential sensory issues during sex.

Read the episode transcript here!

SHOW NOTES

What we chat about…

When was Thomas diagnosed and what was the process like? How did it lead to his working in autism awareness and support?
When did Thomas start Aspergers Growth?
Does Thomas’s channel reach other autistic people?
What’s the difference between autism and Asperger’s?
Why it’s important to talk about autism and relationships
Common misconceptions about dating and autism
What do people assume is the hardest part about dating with autism? What is actually the hardest part?
Metacommunication
Autistic shutdown
How and when to tell someone that you’re dating that you have autism? (16:20)
What kind of sensory issues could arise during sex and how is it best to explain them? (18:23)
Hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity
Sensory-seeking and sensory-defensive
How to spice things up without upsetting your partner’s routine? (21:35)
How does autism enhance a relationship? (25:11)
Alexithymia
Love languages
How to tell if someone is interested in you? How to tell if someone is genuine? (31:17)
The first time Thomas kissed his current girlfriend
How to ask someone out