Thank you Michelle! Yes, if autistic people have trouble socialising, the very last people that are going to help them with that are other autistic people - people who have difficulties understanding other peoples needs.

You are right that things are changing, though.

Ultimately, we need to accept that we are all just individuals, each with our own set of quirks and difficulties. Labels are mainly useful for getting help and understanding from authorities. For example, once I was diagnosed, I was treated differently by the Job Centre and given extra help with finding work. But beyond that, there needs to be an understanding that it's not a personality type. I'm my own individual person who happens to be on the autistic spectrum.

My brother has dyslexia, but that doesn't mean he's the same as all other people with dyslexia.