Written August 22, 2021.

I feel like there are a lot of misconceptions and/or stereotypes surrounding autistic people. Some of these may apply to some people more than others, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, a lot of these get generalized to everyone on the autism spectrum.

I picked some of the most common tropes from books and television shows I've encountered, and I described my own experience as a comparison.

~*~

Autistic people are good at math.
I personally am really great with math. I learned some Calculus in high school without taking a class, just because I'm good at picturing equations and my Physics teacher thought it would be fun for me to learn. I haven't taken a math class for school in several years, but I still enjoy doing mathematical things in my free time.

They cannot understand sarcasm. They take everything literally.
Sort of true for me. I used to be horrible with this. Now, I'm pretty decent with sarcasm in spoken conversations. I'm awful with satire and sarcasm in writing, unless it's blatantly obvious.

Sometimes I take things literally, wherein I don't get the hidden meaning behind something. Like, if someone asks if there's a pen nearby, I might tell them yes, instead of assuming they want me to go get it for them.

They can't relate to other people. They can't feel empathy.
I have the opposite problem with empathy; I feel it very strongly. I'll worry if I know someone else is worried, but I won't know how much to help. It's really hard for me because I don't like it when others are unhappy and I'll go out of my way to try and change that for them.

I have a hard time relating to fictional characters sometimes, especially if I don't know much about them. I write my own characters' profiles like they're regular humans. This helps me understand how they might react to anything, however minor. I also write out all their interests so I can make them as well-rounded as possible when I write them.

This strategy means I get very attached to them, which is why I write a lot of sequels.

Autistic individuals are super gifted in one area.
You see this trope a lot in the media, where people on the spectrum are often portrayed as savants. A savant is someone with extraordinary abilities in a given area. For example, I can visualize and complete complex equations in my head, faster than someone with a calculator could.

I've been told that this is technically a savant ability. I've also been called one, but I'm not really sure if I technically am. I'm good at stuff that I'm interested in, but I feel like that's true for anyone who focuses a lot on their interests.

In the media, these people often have limited capacities in most other subjects. Like, Rain Man from the 1980's movie.

This sort of thing is also a lot rarer than the media would make you believe.

They speak like robots, in a monotone way.
Not true for me. I read the notes from my diagnostic evaluation, which stated that I have a slight singsong nature when I speak.

I've also listened to myself speak on recordings, and I believe the evaluators were accurate. I definitely have pitch and tone when I speak, but it is kind of different than what I pick up from neurotypical folks around me.

They hate social interaction.
Not true for me.

I used to be one of those people who could take it or leave it. I didn't understand small talk and, as a kid, I would ask why in the world people would want to talk about that.

Now, I love talking to people when I get to do so. I just struggle with the how in any given situation. I don't know how much to say, or when to cut in without being rude.

It's pretty bad in regular conversation, and awful for me on the phone.

Sometimes, if I'm with a lot of people for a long time, it does take a while for me to recharge afterwards, and I'll spend some time in a quiet space.