Can a diagnosis of Aspergers in an adult have…

Individuals with Asperger’s syndrome (AS) may have difficulty with social interaction that hinders them from successfully beginning, developing, and/or maintaining an intimate relationship with another person. To our knowledge, there has not been any published research conducted on the area of romantic relationships and adults with AS.

There are various challenges experienced by Neurotypical (NT) individuals who know someone close to them who has a diagnosis of AS. Examples of the challenges outlined in the literature vary from organising a holiday, planning a wedding, and maintaining a sexual relationship with a person diagnosed with AS.

Additionally, NTs may be in an intimate relationship with a partner with AS who has deficits in empathy and spontaneity. Therefore, there may be some personal costs associated with maintaining a relationship in terms of the mental effort exerted by the individual with AS to maintain the relationship and to their NT partner in having to change their expectations of the relationship.

While the literature does not explicitly address whether a formal diagnosis of AS will help couples in a relationship, a clearer understanding of the impact that AS is likely to have on a romantic relationship is likely to provide couples with an opportunity to explore strategies to resolve the unique issues that may arise within their relationship.

– Carmela Germano