Does anyone have someone who fully understands and accepts them as autistic?

As a child I used to have a small number of people who seemed to understand and accept me without question.  I didn't know so at the time, but with the benefit of education and hindsight; I strongly suspect they were the few older adults peppered amongst the wider family who were also Neurodivergent / Autistic.

These days, encounters in the real World with those style of people (non-relatives) are seldom.  I have out-of-state lived my neurodivergent relatives.

I do sometimes encounter such people during virtual video call meetings / courses / book club etc.  Currently, in person, not the case.

In my entire life (and I am speaking as a "late-ling"), among healthcare professionals; I think I have only ever encountered maybe ...3? such people - who simply accepted and dealt with me at "face value".  It is so much less like hard work and frustration when that actually happens - those folk are a true blessing.  Unfortunately, by the nature of their survivable role types, you are more likely to encounter them in a specialist Consultant, or an Accident and Emergency Doctor than at your GP Practice (which is where they would be super-appreciated).

Sometimes, in the workplace, they are to be found (Autistic invisible - fully masked - but in plain sight if you can work on a task together without an audience ...some good work is to be done that way - early morning / later evening).  It depends on the style and ethos of organisation / sector how likely that encounter might be.

I feel that we know we are a relatively small percentage enclave of society at large.  Therefore, since late identification and then formal diagnosis, I have been trying to work harder to make the extra effort to navigate / visit the spaces / environments / forums / courses to / events where it might be more likely to encounter one another. 

Yes, I have visited that museum many times before ... however, if I spot they are holding an Autism-friendly early open hour etc., I will make the effort to attend - just to enjoy the ambience and endorse the accessibility - and maybe you share a refreshingly to-the-point brief conversation with someone while you are there - or a another much younger soul arrives a little fractious and yet copies your adult Autism behaviour and relaxes a bit more in the space - no words exchanged - it can be the case. 

Last time I went to a museum Autism-friendly opening - I wore my noise reduction ear buds from the get go (travel onwards).  I arrived early outside the building to settle a little with a coffee following the bus journey.  Families were outside waiting excitedly for the door to open (tut, tut, unhelpfully late being opened for an Autism-friendly event ... accompanied by much smartphone / wristwatch time checking and a rising chorus of younger voices of frustration and mismatched expectations "But when?  I really is 9 am, Mummy!" etc.). 

I noticed a youngster waiting there then spotted my ear buds (the longish blank stare of "aha, target acquired!"), then they promptly flomped themselves down on the stone floor, to have a thorough rummage in their own backpack, they found their noise-cancelling headphones and donned them accordingly.  Stood behind them was the Dad - silently lip-reading / annunciating across to me "thank you" as he had spotted the scenario unfold. 

All I had actually done was to show up, be calmly stood there drinking the last of my coffee, passing no judgement on the younger coping mechanisms, being dressed and accessorised "my style" (sunhat, sunglasses, ear buds, relaxed cotton clothing, comfortable walking trainers, day rucksack, beverage in hand) - but as it seemed to have turned out - sufficient to silently be a suitable role model nonetheless. 

I guess, I was just doing what my older Autistic relatives, of yesteryear, used to do for me - no drama, just show me their way and be accepting of mine.

We are a community to be found out there in the real World too - we just need to remember to navigate towards one another - and to find a way with which we are comfortable to do so visibly (else, we risk masking Autistic-invisible ...even from each other sometimes).

I think autistic people tend to get on best with other autistic people. That’s been my experience anyway. My eldest has an autism diagnosis - his girlfriend doesn’t have an autism diagnosis but she has many autistic traits and they have a great relationship. They have so much in common and are super considerate of each other’s. Myself and my husband are like this too - I’m the one with the diagnosis but he has many autistic traits and he really understands me.

I think autistic people tend to get on best with other autistic people. That’s been my experience anyway. My eldest has an autism diagnosis - his girlfriend doesn’t have an autism diagnosis but she has many autistic traits and they have a great relationship. They have so much in common and are super considerate of each other’s. Myself and my husband are like this too - I’m the one with the diagnosis but he has many autistic traits and he really understands me.