The Solitude-Loneliness Paradox in Autism: Managing Social Needs and Preference for Alone Time

This narrative review explores why autistic individuals often experience elevated loneliness while simultaneously preferring solitude more than non-autistic peers, termed the SOLO paradox. The authors attribute this pattern to social-communication differences, sensory hypersensitivity, and unmet social needs, and discuss how it may relate to extreme withdrawal or problematic internet use.