Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum

by Michael McCreary

People sometimes use terms like “high-functioning” and “low-functioning” to describe folks on the spectrum, which can be wrongly taken to make assumptions about people’s intelligence. Really, what they’re meant to tell you is to what degree someone can get through their day independently, or how much assistance they might need in their daily lives.

I developed a friendly, small-town manner. Only that was the problem: friendly and polite had gone out of style.

When you strive for perfection, you live in the shadow of potential failure.

It’s not even so much that you want to be liked; it’s that you want to be understood by other people.