Stalking, and social and romantic functioning among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Stokes et al. (2007) compared 20 autistic teens and adults with 20 same-age peers without autism.

They asked both groups about dating history, sexual knowledge, and any times they kept calling or following someone after being told to stop.

They also checked who taught each person about dating: friends, family, or no one.

The autistic group showed three times more stalking-type acts, like repeated texts or showing up uninvited.

They also had far fewer lessons from peers; most learned only from parents or TV.

Poor peer learning, not IQ, predicted the stalking behaviors.

Martin et al. (1997) already found that autistic adults can point to sexual pictures but struggle to name them. Mark’s team links this naming gap to real-world mistakes like stalking.

Marsack et al. (2017) show autistic teens fear rejection but act anyway. Mark adds that when they act without peer feedback, the result can look like stalking.

Higgins et al. (2021) show that college students judge autistic peers harshly for any odd social move. Mark explains one big odd move: repeated unwanted pursuit.

If your client with autism talks about a crush, check if they have a trusted peer to reality-check their plans. Add peer-mentor role-plays to your social-skills groups. Teach clear stop signals and practice taking no for an answer. These steps cut risk and keep clients safe from police or restraining-order trouble.