Curated in January 2024

I've been writing on Quora for a few years now and it tends to run in phases – sometimes I have had the time and inclination to sit and dedicate a couple of hours to answering questions on an A2A (ask to answer) basis. There are other times when I see a question in my digest, or more likely at the end of it, where I have some insight to give. Most of my 994 (at the time of writing) answers are about autism and the autistic experience.

I wrote an answer this morning, in the latter context, and within a couple of hours it has been viewed 153 times, and upvoted 7. That got me thinking that I ought to collate my best, favourite, or most uniquely insightful answers into one place, so here goes!

Is it normal for autistic people to be stressed about birthday parties? How do I stop having anxiety?
 

Why do I, as an autistic person, always repeat phrases and words that I hear for days at a time?
 

What are the effects of autism on an individual's ability to show/feel love for others, even family members? How can someone with autism overcome these challenges emotionally and mentally (if possible)?
 

What does autistic burnout really mean?
 

Can I still be autistic if I can make eye contact, and have multiple special interests, showed signs as a kid, but am very smart and learned how to read/talk/etc at a very early age but still show signs of autism?
 

Not to be hurtful or anything, but why do many people (not all, but many) with autism prefer to be referred to as "autistic?" I have an ASD diagnosis myself, and I actually prefer it if people refer to me using person first language.
 

I have Asperger’s and I hate praise and compliments. Is it common for people with autism to not like compliments?
 

Do some people with Asperger’s Syndrome have an inferiority complex, shyness, lack of confidence, or low self esteem?

FYI: The language in some of these questions may be outdated or inappropriate. I did not write or ask the questions, I only answered them. In my answers I have used the most appropriate language for the time of writing, and in some cases I have retrospectively edited language in my answers where it seemed appropriate to do so.