Are The Men I'm Meeting "On The Spectrum"?-Sharing Experiences on Dating Apps & Beyond

On this episode of the podcast, Mona is joined by one of her best friends, Michelle. They both share some of the experiences they have had with men they met on various dating apps who may have been neurodivergent. A recent article in Psychology Today titled "The Rise of Lonely, Single Men. Men Need to Address Their Deficits to Meet Healthier Relationship Expectations", by Greg Matos, PsyD, addressed how women are expecting more emotional intelligence from men.

During this episode, Mona and Michelle discuss how some of the issues addressed in the article may be related to "undiagnosed adult autism". Meeting lots of men in their 40's, 50's and 60's, who have never been married, or are recently divorced and have been in 1 or more marriages with a lot of social and emotional challenges, made us wonder if dating apps make it easier for men "on the spectrum" to date. However, does this also create more challenges for non-autistic/neurotypical women? More specifically, when you both have lots of social and emotional differences, how can you go from misunderstanding and judgment--to curiosity, awareness and acceptance? The conversation takes us down many paths including:

• Learning how to "not take things personally"
• Communication differences including: slow responses, long well-written texts and temporary ghosting
• Black and white thinking
• Passion about special interests
• Rules and requirements in sexual and physical intimacy
• Sensory sensitivities
• Mind-blindness
• Social quotas
• Broken promises
• Not engaging in personal or emotional discussions
• Why are so many men seeking "no drama"?
• Compassion needed by both people

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If you would like to learn more about neurodiverse relationships, please check out: www.neurodiverselove.com or follow Mona on Instagram @neurodiverse_love

If you are interested in joining the free on-line peer support groups being offered for the non-autistic/neurotypical partners, please send Mona a DM on Instagram or send an email to: neurodiverselove4u@gmail.com

Mona is also offering support groups for Neurodiverse Couples. If you and your partner are interested in joining a group, please send an e-mail with the heading "Neurodiverse Couples Group" to: neurodiverselove4u@gmail.com. You will receive information about the cost and the dates for the next group.

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