This all makes so much sense. I was also diagnosed "late" (ADHD diagnosis as a child, started my journey of autism self-diagnosis at 19, got a professional opinion at 21) and one of the first things people say when I mention my autism is "but you understand humour" or "but you don't 'act' autistic." Comedic portrayals of autism (and even well-meaning ones, like The Good Doctor) are making it harder for autistic people to exist and thrive without being judged for how "high functioning" they are. What they don't see: the exec disfunction, the meltdowns in private, the overstimulation, the food aversions, the sensory aversions, the headaches, the stimming. Instead, they see someone who "understands a joke" and think: can't be autism, then.

Thanks for this informative article, I hope it helps people understand us a bit better.