It depends on the person. I have a lot of autistic friends and the women were largely diagnosed as adults and tend to mask better because they pretty much had to as kids, so several of them are still kind of working through what that means for them and how their lives could’ve been different if they’d been diagnosed earlier. They’re pretty much all really straightforward, which is nice. I work a customer-oriented job and there’s a lot of expected behaviors that come with it and it’s nice to talk to someone who isn’t playing social games.

Occasionally I’ll meet a stranger who either can’t/doesn’t have to mask, and honestly, I’m glad for them. It may come off awkward to NTs, but I think it’s ultimately less harmful than trying to force people into a box they don’t fit in. I’ve seen what that’s like for my adult friends and I don’t wish it on anyone else.