Missed this piece when it came out (damn you Medium algorithm!) but now that Medium is trying out a new Lists feature, I wanted to put together a list of writing published here about being Autistic, and thankfully got caught up! There is so much I can relate to here, we seem to intuitively systematize many of the same things while struggling with the real-time social piece. The number of times that I have walked past a friend on the street and not recognized them because their hair is different or they're not in a context I expect is just absolutely out of control. And like you, when I start to open up to someone my directness / blunt observations, which are often an attempt on my part at intimacy, can leave the other person feeling burnt or mocked. It sucks. Not getting neurotypical humor and unspoken meanings also really sucks. But I also know I wouldn't be the writer and thinker that I am without being Autistic... I just wish being out in the world was a bit less painful. Being kind of confused or different I can handle, and even relish -- being queer and trans certainly has helped with accepting that.