LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM Inspires Dating Class

Published: June 17, 2026

By India McCarty

LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM inspired this new dating class for college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“On a Sunday evening at the University of Texas, a gaggle of students discussed their dating goals,” the Austin American-Statesman reported.

The class, offered by nonprofit Lifelong Learning with Friends, helps students with intellectual and developmental disabilities navigate the world of dating. Inspired by the popular Netflix dating show, the class walks participants through real-world scenarios and helps them learn how to spot a good match. They even analyze scenes from LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM.

One attendee, Ocean Pierce-Shimomura, wants someone “to love things with them,” while another, Marielle Abrams, hopes for someone patient and tall.

“Someone who wears a Texas tee,” Carter Cawley shared. “Not A&M.”

The University of Texas isn’t the only school that has offered similar classes. Last year, UCLA launched PEERS For Dating, a program designed to help autistic adults navigate and understand relationship dynamics.

“Romantic relationships can be transformative, but for many autistic adults, the path to connection can feel uncertain,” Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, developer of the PEERS program, told UCLA Health. “With PEERS for Dating, we are committed to providing evidence-based tools to empower participants to approach love with confidence, form lasting connections, and improve their overall quality of life.”

Boston University also has a class for adults with autism, called HEARTS (Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum), developed by Professor Emily Rothman, chair of occupational therapy at College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College.

“Adult autism intervention is a relatively new field, and there was a big gap [regarding] healthy relationships and sexual violence prevention,” she explained in an article on BU’s website. “All people are interested in learning about how to have healthy relationships,” she adds. “We just break the information down in a way that speaks to someone’s experience as an autistic person, and deliver it in a manner that feels accessible to their way of acquiring new information.”

Rothman shared that she has received positive feedback from the course’s students, including one who wrote a thank-you letter for encouraging her to be brave enough to start dating.

“I’ve been a researcher for 20-plus years, and this has been the most rewarding experience [of my career]. It’s an amazing, positive feeling,” she said.

These classes are a wonderful way to encourage people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to try out the world of dating.

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