How are autistic people fundamentally different than NTs?

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I'm interested in the community's view on this matter. What counts as 'fundamentally different'? I'm not sure A working definition could be: a type of experience or a mind / brain mechanism, which autistic people have and NTs don't have or vice versa. Or maybe, there are no fundamental differences, but a continuum of traits which most people have, just not so many and to a lesser extent? Are potential fundamental differences caused by autistic traits themselves or by interactions with (social and non-social) environment? And so on... Both personal experiences and scientific theories are welcome.

This is a broad question so I'll give my thoughts: I feel some people are scared of us because we are more intelligent than average and they can't figure how to relate to us. Also we don't mind and really prefer being by ourselves.

Its not a question that can easily be answered because autism genes, possible other causes of autism or biology of autism doesn't respect psychology or the 3 categories on a diagnostic bit of paper.

Some autism genes cause ID or epilepsy, tics, anxiety , schizophrenia, balance problems, co-ordination problems & physical health issues.

Others may just be related to social anxiety or communication.

Separating what is what is a work in progress, but for now its just the crude label "autism"

the definition of autism most accepted by science today is that autism is "unevenly developed neurology" .

It is to be assumed then, that NT folks' neurology is more evenly developed. There's the difference.

I'm just as human as anyone, whether 'NT' or autistic.

In terms of differences, these come to mind:

-More introverted
-Less comfortable in certain social environments
-Neurologically different

Being autistic is - in my view - a subjective medical opinion.

Remember, autism is a relatively new phenomenon. For most of human history, someone with autism
would still have to survive without any labels or medical understanding.

I am a NT sociologist. My research area, when I was doing research, was in autistic adults. I am married to a man with Asperger's and I have a son with ADHD.

Let's imagine there is a needed item on a roof.

Neurotypical people (excluding all major mind differences) have a innate herd mentality which helps us quickly gain skills or resources quickly in a group. We are less effective alone. NTs would naturally form a human pyramid and gain the item.

Autistic people would find an item or circumstance that would allow them to obtain the item from the roof. They would be less likely to need others for help.

Both methods are valid. A healthy society needs both kinds of people.

In that case I'm definitely not NT But isn't it a bit conflating autism with introversion? I think there are a lot of NTs who don't gain skills quickly in a group and are much more effective alone. And I heard there are some autistic extraverts out there

My brother is an autistic extrovert, and even he prefers going it alone when it comes to getting things done.

NT seem to be governed by their emotions and struggle to understand or utilize logic in their lives. ND seem to be governed by logic and struggle to understand or utilize emotions in their lives. I have been told I think too much, by a NT who I could tell could barely rub 2 thoughts together without getting a migraine.

Many NT I know seem to be unable or unwilling to be alone with their thoughts while most ND I know seem to be most happy and at peace when alone with their thoughts. Without their herd they are lost, with their herd we get lost.

Both seem to wear masks, but for different reasons and with different mindsets. Both seem to utilize masks to create the impression in others that we are different than who we truly are, but for different outcomes. Example, NT wears a suit because NT social rules say a suit says the wearer is an important person and they want to be perceived as important. A ND wears a suit because they see all the NT's around them wearing them and just want to seem acceptable.

NT's seem to have an inherent belief that ND's are strange and thus it is completely acceptable to treat them as less than human. Most ND's see NT's as strange, yet still treat them as a person.

I think that we autistic people have an interior world in which we prefer to remain, and the cable link to the social world is narrow, with very low bandwidth, so social data does not travel, or get processed as quickly by our brains. I think it is 100% genetic and 100% biological and has to do with brain development and how the brain is wired. I also wonder whether it is something like vestigial Neanderthal genes. Maybe one day we will know.

As a child, I was slow to develop social skills on par with my peers. Even though my parents and teachers regarded me as gifted, yet I had profound problems making and maintaining friends, and did not develop effective coping mechanisms for problems I encountered. I also believe that my parents both had Asperger's, both were on the spectrum, which should not be uncommon really. I believe my brother also has it.

It was all very puzzling to me for decades, until all these online tests became available for Asperger's, and then, as I was searching for answers, a light bulb went on. A-ha! Though it was a case of too late, for me, still it is pleasant to have insight into my life and not feel like I failed. Instead, I just feel like I did great, in light of what might seem to be a handicap, certainly in the social sphere.

The NT introvert would be on the inside of the pyramid.

The autist extravert might go about on the street asking for ideas about the item on the roof.

If I had to guess at a fundamental difference, I’d probably choose this.

NT: in social situations, “what other people think” is the number one priority
Autism:in social situations, “what other people think” is not the number one priority.