Hey guys, welcome to Adulting with Autism, the podcast where we dive into the rollercoaster of adulthood through a neurodiverse lens. I'm April Ratchford, your friendly occupational therapist mom, proudly on the spectrum and raising an amazing young adult son with autism. Join us as we share stories, tips, and laughs, offering a supportive space for anyone navigating life's twists and turns. Grab your drink of choice, no judgment, and let's embark on this journey together. This is Adulting with Autism.

Hey guys, hey, happy Wednesday. So glad you can make this podcast a song for you. It's called Friends. How many of us have them? Friends, ones we can depend on. Friends. Listen, you better be loving this song because it took me ages to get it right. And I used to sing that song all the time. If you don't know it, shame on your parents. And my cat, Peter, he's agreeing with me. He has all the opinions. Beats me into my next step. So I have Coach Lee Hopkins here, who is an expert on friendships.

Let's be real. You guys are out of high school. And making friends outside of high school is rather difficult because if you're not going to college and you're not working yet, how else are you guys making friends? And don't say the internet. That doesn't help. Because really, human beings are social creatures and you need to learn to do it face to face. We are not made to be looking at a little screen. That's a great beginning, don't get me wrong. And that's how a lot of you guys interact in the beginning. And I'm not faulting you for that. Not faulting you at all. But you have to get used to interacting with other people. And it's a healthy thing. And Coach Lee here can help you.

So he actually struggled with making friends himself because he was trying to find that perfect friend group. And we all struggled at one point of trying to find that perfect friend group. And he often felt isolated and alone. And it wasn't until he discovered the power of vulnerability that he began to break through the barriers that had held him back for so long. He learned that by speaking from the heart and being true to himself, he could have meaningful conversations that led to lasting friendships with other people. And now he's passionate about helping other people do the same.

So he helps people struggling to connect with co-workers, colleagues, friends, and family members to communicate in a way that feels authentic and true to who they are. So it's not just you guys. It can be anybody who wants an authentic friendship, even your parents or your caregivers. Because think about it. They've been helping you so much that they've lost friends along the way. And you guys have to learn that your parents just aren't your parents. Your parents were people prior to being your parents or caregivers. They had things, and I'm guilty of it too, that I generally forgot who my parents were prior to having me. We all do. We all forget who our parents were before they had us. And it's a thing. It's all a kid thing. We all forget at one point that they all had lives before we entered the picture. It's no big deal. You got to remember, your parents solely made you their focus to help you become the best version of you they could be. And along the way, they gave up things they wanted to do. Having friend groups and, and don't feel bad about it. They did this voluntarily and sometimes, you know, friends sometimes grow apart and sometimes that's okay. And sometimes they come back in your life.

I had a best friend in elementary school. Oh, she, Deborah, my best friend. We were like lit. And she went to another school in third grade. And just because life just happened, she went to a traditional Jewish Orthodox school. I continued on with traditional school because my parents were like, absolutely not. You're not going to Jewish. They weren't having it because I tried. And we reconnected during COVID. Friendships ebb and flow. People come in your life and they go out of your life. And that's just how friendships are. They're fluid.

So give a listen to Coach Lee and he's got some great ideas that can help you, especially if you guys are now entering the workforce for the first time. And those of you that are prepping for college, also think about it. He has some great ideas. So welcome my guest, Coach Lee.

As we wrap up another awesome episode of Adulting with Autism, just remember, we're all in this together. Keep being your amazing selves, celebrating wins big and small, and facing whatever life throws your way with a smile. Thanks for tuning in. And until next time, stay awesome and keep shining bright.

Oh, and if you want to help our podcast grow, don't forget to share it with your friends. Leave us a review and hit that subscribe button. This is April Ratchford signing off from Adulting with Autism.

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