“Even in a classroom full of people I’m just feeling lonely”: Exploring the experience of loneliness among autistic children and adolescents

Loneliness is a pressing issue for autistic children and young people. Hitherto, research has mostly focused on establishing the prevalence of loneliness in this group but has largely neglected their own perspective. This study aimed to address this gap and deepen our understanding of how autistic youth experience loneliness. Specifically, the study investigated how autistic young people conceptualise loneliness, how they experience loneliness across different contexts, and what strategies they employ to cope with this feeling. Eleven autistic participants, aged 10 to 16, were interviewed online. The study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data. Four Group Experiential Themes (GETS) and twelve subthemes emerged. The four themes included: (1) conceptualisation of loneliness, (2) subjective experience of loneliness, (3) communicating feelings of loneliness, and (4) social interactions and networks. Findings revealed that participants distinguished between loneliness and aloneness, experienced various emotions and physical sensations linked to loneliness, and perceived their experiences differently at home and school. Most felt misunderstood if they shared their loneliness and preferred coping alone through enjoyable activities. The study highlights the need for clinicians to engage young autistic people in discussions about loneliness, offer safe spaces to share experiences, and design interventions specifically for their needs.