Love on the Spectrum: Toward Inclusive Online Dating Experience of Autistic Individuals

Online dating is a space where autistic individuals can find romantic partners with reduced social demands. Autistic individuals are often expected to adapt their behaviors to the social norms underlying the online dating platform to appear as desirable romantic partners. However, given that their autistic traits can lead them to different expectations of dating, it is uncertain whether conforming their behaviors to the norm will guide them to the person they truly want. In this paper, we explored the perceptions and expectations of autistic adults in online dating through interviews and workshops. We found that autistic people desired to know whether they behaved according to the platform’s norms. Still, they expected to keep their unique characteristics rather than unconditionally conform to the norm. We conclude by providing suggestions for designing inclusive online dating experiences that could foster self-guided decisions of autistic users and embrace their unique characteristics.