The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationships among the effects of loneliness, stress and self-efficacy on the life satisfaction of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their neuro-typically developed peers. The participants (N = 104), all male, were between 15 and 27 years of age. Half of them were diagnosed having ASD the other half were neuro-typical. They completed several self-reported measurements. We found significant differences between the two groups in reported loneliness, life satisfaction and self-efficacy. The conclusions point towards the need for broader studies of self-efficacy and life satisfaction of people with ASD and a reconsidering of the universality of developmental tasks.