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Haha I used to think this too. These are good links:

https://www.facebook.com/Aucademy

https://www.instagram.com/thearticulateautistic/ 

An interesting perspective is, it isn't something you 'have' or have 'caught' any more than being human is something you'd 'have'. I think there's a bit of a struggle in psychology right now in that Autism describes a different way of processing information, a different way of experiencing information and a different way of communicating. And while some of us might appear to have more a handle on things and others might have added needs, we can relate neurologically to one another in the same way Neuro-Typical individuals relate to one another. 

There's a LOT to process especially if you've been told you're supposed to engage with and perceive the world like NTs do. The fact is, we don't. I've had friends who've micro-dosed on mushrooms to see the world how I do. You might need some time to pause and regroup. I had several breakdowns in my 20s. 

There was a lot of research in the last century on how marginalising Capitalism can be for those who aren't psychologically and neurologically wired for it. NTs tend to use their social/tribal/language brain-parts a bit more which help them create defence mechanisms or neurosis in order to function 'normally'. Such as the concept of Sublimation: receiving "secret" social information which trains them to convert desire into socially accepted behaviour. Jung, Freud, Lacan, Guattari - all noticed that Autistic and Schizophrenic individuals weren't receiving this secret information while young. Fast forward to 2022 and we have a little more information telling us that the Autistic/Schizo-Analytical brain could be using images or the imaginary to process and understand, while NTs use language. There are many papers which back up the possibility that only an Autistic wired brain can end up with Schizophrenia. When the Neurotic brain struggles with the fiction vs reality, it become Psychotic. There was a push at one point to make a clear definition between the two. I think Francesca Happé is helping promote that concept in psychoanalytical circles because our picture-thinking analytical brain is better suited for cooperation, not competition. And that can make us kinder humans. It's a massive distinction. 

This might be more than you were hoping for! But Being autistic, highly focused, capable of sensing far more than my NT friends has its value. Learn the best parts of who you are! And if you can take time out as you're doing to do so, you'll be all the better for it :) 

Just reading about some of this in Neurotribes by Steve Silberman.  Leo Kanner and his school of psychology thought there was a link between Schizophrenia and Autism.  They initially thought autism was childhood schizophrenia before realizing that autistic children were just in a world of their own, not actually delusional.  I haven't got to anything that might suggest that Schizophrenia might actually be only in autistic adults but I can see it being the case - maybe it is neurodivergent rather than ASD specifically.

Great book and very interesting though a hard read at times.  Autistic children were not been treated very well in the past including forced sterilization in the USA and other countries.

I have that book - I too find it difficult and I read some complex stuff but rely heavily on sound logic for working through a proof, so I've assumed it's to do with how he communicates. 

I can't see it being just 'neurodivergent' to be honest. But I also get a bit lost with that term which seems to be an umbrella for a lack of funded and helpful research/education into different ways of experiencing, perceiving and learning. I grew up with young parents who spent time with a sort of wild church group. Having imaginary friends and 'seeing' patterns or details or even something like auras or echoes, meant I was highly gifted (Indigo child), if even prophetic. Now, I don't discount the need for a sage, sensei or wise medicine woman in a tribe, but it seems to me when young autistic thinking humans are allowed to flourish in human-friendly environments (enough alone time, no technology, human-friendly lighting, not forced to eat, aided with room to grow and tools to become and reason how our brains are wired to do so) they don't shut down or withdraw or end up in survival/stress mode constantly. I also dealt with AiWS.

I wish there were more research here into the incredible capacity of the imagination of the autistic-thinker. Temple Grandin was notably recognised, but there was more about the link to the autistic picture-thinker and schizophrenia tucked away in medical journals prior to her. It seems to point to a healthy, active imagination which can be a profound tool for logic, art, spacial and structure reasoning... the list goes on. Though there are these very rare Autists who don't think in pictures at all, but have an incredibly heightened ability toward systems thinking.

In all my personal research I can't see how it's not a function, wiring or even -misfiring easily aided by treatment. (However, don't get me started on Neurotic/NT-becoming-perverse or NT group phantasy!) I think Autistic Adults can actually be far more help to a schizophrenic community because of how we relate. I do wonder how many are misdiagnosed, who just need tutorials in utilising their imagination in connexion to their strengths, or as R.D. Laing and Felix Guattari had suggested, a real escape from a world overwhelming and stressing us toward marginalisation. 

I think you are right, there is not enough research into the potential for Autistic and neurodiverse in general.  It is no coincidence that many entrepreneurs are dyslexic or that engineers (especially in IT) are autistic.  Instead of seeing these as problems we should be exploring how best to harness these talents and help these children/people to have happy lives.

Btw, I struggle to form pictures in my head.  I mostly can only picture concepts etc. but no actual image.  Strangely I don't have the same problem with sounds so I am not Aphantasic. 

Nikola Tesla had the same sort of memory as Temple Grandin. Both can assemble an object in their head and 'test' it against all conditions just as if you had build a model in front of you.  I would love to be able to do that to even some degree!

I think you are right, there is not enough research into the potential for Autistic and neurodiverse in general.  It is no coincidence that many entrepreneurs are dyslexic or that engineers (especially in IT) are autistic.  Instead of seeing these as problems we should be exploring how best to harness these talents and help these children/people to have happy lives.

Btw, I struggle to form pictures in my head.  I mostly can only picture concepts etc. but no actual image.  Strangely I don't have the same problem with sounds so I am not Aphantasic. 

Nikola Tesla had the same sort of memory as Temple Grandin. Both can assemble an object in their head and 'test' it against all conditions just as if you had build a model in front of you.  I would love to be able to do that to even some degree!