It took a few decades, but the dam seems to be breaking well. Mental health is now no more taboo than physical health (at least for the newer generations, in many places). Accommodating your autistic friend, when they burn out a bit, is no more of an issue than accommodating your friend with a busted knee, or the one working on their weight.

Watching the younger generations roll with what would be horrifying to older generations makes me feel better about the future.

"Everyone's a little autistic!"

But that's what bugs me a bit. Doesn't everyone experience the world in their own unique way and doesn't everyone have to adapt their unique self to society's norms to some degree?

• not having bright as hell lights and loud music everywhere
• not being stared at like a fucking zoo animal or some kind of spectacle when I go out in public
• not being told to "get out of my comfort zone" when that 'cOmFoRt ZoNe' is actually my "not in physical or mental pain-zone"
• people not throwing the r-slur around like it has no history or meaning behind it at all
• not being expected to be up and about so fucking early
• not being treated like I'm either some innate genius or completely brainless

Just people not being inconsiderate, ableist pieces of shit in general.

I was watching something from dropout tv, and someone at one point was put on the spot, got overwhelmed, and said “nobody observe me,” which has stuck with me. I wish there were some signal you could display in public to not receive attention from people. Nothing will tip me from overstimulated to tears or tears to blubbering faster than people asking me if I’m okay. I totally get that when people see an adult woman on the verge of tears in public, they want to do something about it if they can, but I wish they wouldn’t.

Neurotypicals often feel like they're not being listened to if a person doesn't make eye-contact. I sympathise with their anxiety, but I would like them to understand that if I am forcing myself to make eye contact (or to appear like I am), that takes me so much focus that I'm less likely to be following what they're saying.

This one is more of an ADHD thing for me, but a similar one is that I would like them to understand that if I am fiddling with something with my hands, this is actually an indicator that I am listening to them (for me, tasks like crochet, embroidery or origami are things that I do to occupy my hands and the part of my brain that gets distracted).

Those are a couple of examples, but more broadly, I'd just like for neurotypical people to understand that their experiences aren't universal. Furthermore, I believe that clinging to a sense of normality is harmful because of how it flattens the variety of human experience — even if we're comparing neurotypicals to neurotypicals: "Normal" is a box that I have caused myself severe harm trying to fit in, but I see that same kind of harm being caused to neurotypicals who can contort themselves enough to force themselves into the box. Just because someone can fit in doesn't mean they will be comfortable or happy in that mould — it sometimes makes me glad that I'm autistic, because I get to explore who I am beyond that box of prescriptive normality.

Someone could proof-read and edit forms so all the questions can be answered truthfully and they are possible to fill in.