BACKGROUND: Previous research has often documented that friendship is an area of difficulty for autistic people, however this may be caused by a neurotypical understanding of friendship. The current study aimed at adopting a more inclusive account of friendship, involving an autistic participant group representing a range of genders and communication preferences while exploring the following question-What are autistic adults' perceptions of friendships? METHOD: Participants ( = 20) were interviewed using their preferred method of communication (speaking and non-speaking) during 2021-2022. RESULTS: The results showed that three main themes emerged under an overarching theme of : , , and The inclusive approaches used in the current study allowed under-researched autistic groups such as non-speaking autistic people and autistic people who identify as non-binary to participate in meaningful research. CONCLUSIONS: The study offers a new perspective on the Double Empathy theory, suggesting it may be helpful to conceptualize it as a continuum of neuro-cultural learning rather than a distinctive binary centered on an autistic-allistic misunderstanding. Increased understanding of friendships in autistic groups will help to increase awareness of social belonging and support that can protect against poor mental health outcomes.