My 24 year old AS female cousin is interested in a 16 year old boy. I this common?

[HelloDizzy]

Re: My 24 year old AS female cousin is interested in a 16 year old boy. I this common

Agreed. But if he's not interested in her, it might never become an issue.

Well I sure am glad we are speculating so we can take what I say out of context and rip it apart. If it becomes an issue, what I say is relevant, and if it does not, it can simply be ignored by the primary questioner.

 

[Goose Girl]

Re: My 24 year old AS female cousin is interested in a 16 year old boy. I this common

I could see why your 24 year old cousin may end up crushing on someone who's 16. A younger guy may be less judgmental and as a general rule, Aspies can feel and even look way younger than they are.

I've read this and I also have experienced it myself. I'm a woman on the spectrum and I have always felt and looked several years "behind" the age I actually am, getting mistaken for a younger person pretty consistently through my adult life. The result being that not only have people younger than myself gravitated toward me often because they weren't even aware I was older than they, but also on the other side I have been drawn on an emotional level toward younger people than myself, for friends and even boyfriends (though always well over legal age, I hasten to add before I start sounding suspect!)

I only recently learned that this is reportedly quite a common occurrence for people on the autism spectrum -- to look, feel and act younger and to be drawn to younge people for friendship, and also those younger people are drawn in turn to them.