I Hate Networking (And You Don’t Actually Need to Do It) | Autistic Business Advice #2
“Network, network, network!” is exhausting, inefficient business advice—If you hate small talk and don’t want to be perceived, you’re not broken.
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Autistic Relationships, Communication, and Loneliness
- Do you always seem to say something awkward, take things too literally, over-explain, or trauma dump? Or you shut down and can’t get words out at all?
- Do you seem to have a force-field around you for not being included in social things?
- Does unmasking feel like a double-edged sword, where you either present a fake version of yourself or risk losing the few connections you have?
- Are you afraid everyone will eventually get tired of your needs/ shutdowns/ weirdness/ walking on eggshells and leave, and you’ll end up completely alone?
If you recognized yourself in any of these, you don’t have to keep figuring it out alone.
I’ve walked this road myself, and that’s why I’ve put together resources, tools, and answers to support you in making it better.
Free downloads
Here are most popular free downloads
to help with those questions:
Free workshop on autistic unmasking
Most recent articles on autistic relationships, communication, and loneliness
3 Reasons Sensory Processing Challenges Can Contribute to Social Awkwardness
It might seem like social stuff and sensory stuff are unrelated topics, but getting in touch with your body can make a difference in making friends. Here’s reasons why.
The Autistic 10-Step Plan for Making Friends
Despite many of us desiring friendship, it can be hard for us on the autism spectrum to actually make them. Here’s my 10-step plan for making friends when you’re Autistic.
Why Autistics Are Lonely
So many autistics struggle with loneliness, even while they ache for connection. It’s easy to think it’s because we’re just too different, but what if that’s not the case?
Why They Say “You Know What You Did”: The Unexpected Backlash
A very common situation for Autistics is one where someone is upset at us and we can’t figure out what we did or said to upset them. I’d like to offer my explanation for why this happens.
Why Finding Your Autistic Community Didn’t Fix Your Loneliness (The Truth No One Talks About)
When we finally figure out that we’re Autistic, we think finding community in other Autistics will be what allows us to finally find good relationships. But sometimes, it just results in us feeling more isolated than ever.
The Uncomfortable Combination Of People Pleasing And Demand Avoidance
In my last video, I shared the story of being unfairly accused of cheating someone, but forgot to finish with what happened with the sheriff. Here’s the rest of that story.
Trust Your Path: When to Ignore Good Advice
I’m laying out a framework for how to tell whether the advice someone is giving you, or that you find on the Internet, is relevant for you or not.
Letting Go of the Shame of Avoiding People
For autistics, it makes sense why we tend to avoid social situations; the majority of our interactions can be uncomfortable. But we can’t lean into the discomfort until we stop shaming ourselves.
Why Thank You Notes Work
Why thank you notes work might surprise you. Rather than relics of the past, these tools still serve an important purpose.
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Free videos on autistic socialization
Heather’s YouTube playlist on friendship:
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Why Autistics Both Need and Avoid Relationships #actuallyautistic #autisticcommunity
Why Finding Your Autistic Community Didn't Fix Your Loneliness (The Truth No One Talks About)
Are healthy relationships scary? #healthyrelationships #relationshipgoals #relationshipadvice
Don't Look For New Friends Until You Do This
Friendships that don’t last #actuallyautistic #friendship #shorts 
How People Pleasing Prevents Positive Relationships
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Free videos on social explanations
Heather’s YouTube playlist of social explanations:
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Why are things more annoying in autistic self-discovery?
Small talk as allistic scripts #healthycommunication #allistics #socialscripts #autisticsocializing
Is it rude for Autistics to spend holidays in their room?
Why Neurotypicals Do That: Small Talk
This isn’t “trust issues“ #actuallyautistic #mentalhealth #autisticmasking #autismstory
How To Tell If People Really Want Honesty, Part 1
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Ready to go deeper?
If you’d like more in-depth, structured, or personalized help developing healthier relationships and communication that honors your autistic style—and are open to paid resources—here are my top three options:
More free resources by topic
Here are more common topics of interest in the later identified Autistic Journey: