An identi-kit online autistic person?

1) Borderline (nearly forty).

2) I do mask. I'm not sure I'm "highly adept." I think some people think of me as weird, or just slightly off/hard to "get."

3) Yes to both.

4) Absolutely not. I experience it as a disability and feel uncomfortable (OK, angry) with people who try to tell me I should feel otherwise. If other people experience it as a gift, I'm pleased for them, but it's not my experience.

5) I'm not an expert, but I probably have followed some of that progression, but not quickly at all.

It is easy to think everyone is like this, especially if you're not. I think like this sometimes. But there probably is some bias in the more functional people being able to join in a forum like this, or to want to share about their lives, let alone to promote autism awareness generally (e.g. Chris Packham).

1) Borderline (nearly forty).

2) I do mask. I'm not sure I'm "highly adept." I think some people think of me as weird, or just slightly off/hard to "get."

3) Yes to both.

4) Absolutely not. I experience it as a disability and feel uncomfortable (OK, angry) with people who try to tell me I should feel otherwise. If other people experience it as a gift, I'm pleased for them, but it's not my experience.

5) I'm not an expert, but I probably have followed some of that progression, but not quickly at all.

It is easy to think everyone is like this, especially if you're not. I think like this sometimes. But there probably is some bias in the more functional people being able to join in a forum like this, or to want to share about their lives, let alone to promote autism awareness generally (e.g. Chris Packham).