There is also a huge focus on the external signs and not so much the internal symptoms of autism, Gardner-Wright said. And those internal symptoms are very different from person to person.

Give your autistic friend the benefit of the doubt—and give them grace. “The biggest thing allistic folks can do is assume the best intention, and assume that the person is trying,” Rogers says.

People with autism thrive on straightforwardness, with “really honest, clear communication being a strong preference,” Gardner-Wright said. Neff said autistic people tend to be pretty literal.

In another study of verbal creativity, autistic children and teens produced a greater quantity of creative metaphors as compared to allistic controls. On Metaphors and Mermaids "He is just an ugly ...

These studies highlighted how autistic people face issues with everyday tasks that allistic (meaning non-autistic) people do not. Some difficulties may include recognising emotions or social cues.