This is a really interesting topic...I am in agreement with the consensus among you all...Indeed, it is only a stereotype that all Aspies are introverts...
First, we must understand the difference between an extrovert and an introvert...This is not always clear-cut...For example, one may be shy and appear to be introvert, when in reality one is extrovert...A healthy extrovert, generally speaking, gets energized when surrounded by people...While introverts loose energy when forced into some social situations...Others, like me, find themselves somewhere in the middle, and adapt well to most social settings...Still, even the most extroverted of individuals needs his or her time alone to 'recharge' as well...
Secondly, for purposes of this discussion, let's also clarify that, as a general rule, all healthy human beings crave human connection--extroverts and introverts, those on the spectrum inclusive...Although, NOT necessarily to the same degree...In the case of some introverts, their spouse satisfies their need for human connection...Such is the case of my parents, both of whom are true introverts, and neither of them is on the spectrum...
Interestingly, both my sister and my brother--who are not on the spectrum--are among the most social introverts i have ever met...I want to believe that having ME, who is slightly more inclined to extroversion, as their sibling helped them develop good social skills...In my case, surely growing-up with all INTROVERTS in my immediate family, helped me become more understanding of introverts and their need for personal space...In fact, i suspect that growing-up with ALL introverts in my immediate family may have subconsciously influenced my selection of who I married--my beloved Aspie...
Like my non-autistic siblings, my husband, in the right social setting, can be the most sociable of introverts...When i met my husband, appx three years and a half ago, he had learned to mask his autistic traits very well...However, looking back closer, i now realize that--outside the social circle in which i met him--he was a loner...I can only imagine what a story of rejection after rejection can do to a human being...Please know that my heart bends towards those of you on the spectrum who have been forced to reclusion long before the pandemic...When things get better, and we survive this pandemic, please do not isolate yourselves...
Rest assured, my dear friends, that there are people here in WP who care about you...And if circumstances allowed for, we would be more than willing to extend a helping hand...I leave you all with this positive thought...