How to encourage a quiet person with ASD to talk?

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There was this quiet boy at the camp I volunteer with. I asked him a few questions about his interests and what he wants to do, but he didn't say anything. Then I stopped with the pestering and opened up a newspaper, which we looked at together.

However, today, I found out from another volunteer who knows him about what his interests actually are. She told me she once got him to talk about his interest for 10 minutes straight. I'm thinking that I could find a game related to his interest that we both can enjoy, but again, it's difficult when the person doesn't tell me about their interests. I've seen someone here say that they don't like it when people just come up to them and ask them what their interest is.

What are some alternate strategies you can recommend for finding out someone's interest? I want to ask as few questions as possible, because I know they can be pressuring and invasive.

Thanks!

From my own perspective, people trying to find out stuff about me get be very little information, I am not keen on talking with people, I would rather listen or do stuff with people. Looking at the newspaper together sounds like it was a good idea. If you now know what his interests are, I would suggest just doing something related to the interests, he might then choose to open up a bit. Otherwise i'd suggest just be easy going and let him open up around you at his own pace.

Okay. It's hard when the staff push me to ask the participant about his/her interests rather than tell me and let me go from there. Trying to explain something like this to the staff is difficult as it is something I intrinsically understand but is hard to convey in words without having it sound like an excuse.

Sometimes, there's also the lingering doubt that me being quiet might be boring for the participant and he/she would rather have me talk or do something but cannot get it out properly. I suppose there would be some indication, either non-verbal or verbal, but sometimes it's difficult to know.

Now that you know what his interests are, figure out an activity that relates to them. Focusing on something other than him will make him more comfortable; he may then talk about his interest. Also, don't ask him directly about himself. I can never answer these kinds of questions, but when someone asks me about a topic I'm interested in, I can talk about that.

I now have a spider sense when people are trying to get into my head.

I was not always like this, till recently I willingly explored my mind with them, in the past.

Now I react by withdrawing from them or not really communicating with them


This recent reticence is due to the recent understanding that these people:

being in positions of authority ie therapists with a file on you

whom i observed to have illegitimate authority due to their low IQ levels, or poor understanding/respect for ASD's

and a propensity to foist harmful medications and damaging talk therapies on other poor unsuspecting aspie souls/customers

Your young man may be the same, I dont know

I think many of us who have been constantly disappointed by illegitimate authority... now have an innate disrespect for meddling busy bodies, even those who can and are willing to help us!

Its a bit like throwing out the baby with the bathwater, or becoming cynical and closed off

Which is probably a good thing when an aspie looks at the world today

If someone's trying hard to get me to "come out of my shell" and talk to them I tend to get annoyed and uncomfortable and want to talk even less.

One of my biggest pet peeves that aggravates the hell out of me is when someone says I need to talk more or comments that I'm too quiet.

I would just like to point out that I'm quiet and most of the time I'm perfectly happy not talking or interacting.
People assuming that I really want to talk but am just shy and who try to "pull me out of my shell" really get on my nerves.

Often I need to be put at ease with the person I'm keeping company with talking at length about a topic of mutual interest. Eventually I can't help myself and reciprocate. If you attempt this, it is important to me that the person seems genuinely enthused about the topic...if the bs detector trips off I close down.

Good luck in making a connection

People gotta ask me questions to get me to talk. I may open up more.

Why not just let him be quiet?