A couple friends of mine who have autism seem to have a deeper understanding of their emotions and thought processes than I do, and the patients I’ve met with ASD as a nurse also have better insight in terms of their mental health

Interesting. I consider myself probably autistic, but I feel like I'm a lot more disconnected from my emotions than average. Granted, I think that's largely because of ADHD and dysphoria that I was trying to hide from myself by avoiding being alone with just my thoughts; always doing something else, even if just listening to music to avoid it, and dealing with dissociation.

Whether that’s cause all of the above have done a lot of therapy though

Could also be a difference. I never have (outside a court-ordered one during parent's divorce, but that was largely about figuring out custody and I had no interest in engaging with her).

I don’t think people with autism are necessarily ignorant of social norms

I think often social norms are often perceived as more arbitrary rules to be learned and something to follow if there is fear of social punishment for violating the norms rather than any sort of attachment to the norms themselves. Whereas other people will sometimes get hung up on the norms themselves.

Also, there can be significant misunderstandings. Like, assuming people who perform their gender are making fun of gender because we always saw gender as a joke and didn't realize other people didn't see it that way. So, technically not completely ignorant that the social norm of gender exists, but not much better.

It can lead to confusion about whether something is just an arbitrary social norm or an actual thing. Throughout middle school, I wondered if sexual attraction was just made up and people pretended to experience it because it was socially expected of them; I considered it more likely that people actually experienced it, but couldn't rule it out as a legitimate possibility, especially since dating at that age largely does seem to be the result of people trying to follow social norms rather than a genuine interest in dating.

and the patients I've met with ASD as a nurse also have better insight in terms of their mental health

Aw yiss aw fuck yee

people with autism are necessarily ignorant of social norms, not what I'm saying.

Maybe I am, though...? This actually is kinda just like me fr fr Also if I think about it for two seconds, (was tired soz) I guess the stuff I described could still play i to what you're talking about, I see I see. I guess I just felt like I've heard the Social Norms thing a lot and it's a bit oversimplifying...

Fr where are my autism superpowers... It is interesting to consider the potential reasons or crossplay fwiw. Me, I am just a simple trans autism appreciator is all

A couple friends of mine who have autism seem to have a deeper understanding of their emotions

I have always been in touch with emotions and had a strong inner sense of self. I have long internal ruminations and analysis of most things.

When I was a kid and knew I was different I would ruminate on why and observe others but not feel like interacring. I'd ruminate on my sexuality and how I view things. I'd be non verbal and sit and contemplate the meaning of things feom a very young age. Some of my earliest ruminations would be over my sexual anatomy and if it would be changed for instamce.

I was typically treated like the weirdo who didn't interact with anyone and i'd sit and play alone, all that time I'd spend on ruminations and theorising on my self and trying to understand others.

I never learned social cues or how to mask because I never interacted with others on a basic level. Most of what i've learned is self taught.

I look at autiam as having some brain rewiring like a completely different way of looking at things and undersramding. I am disconnected from emotions more than others, like almost zen like unless something breaks through that.. I am also an empath I can feel emotions from people too like i'd feel someones anger and feel cut up and agitated or sadness and I'd feel deep sorrow, like almost physical effects from emotions but these emotions are the other persons not my own.

The disconnect also affects my sexual attraction and being on the ace spectrum too.

I used to think growing up everyone lived in their head like I did..