omg, I was at a farmer’s market one day with my ex. We went up to a tent that was selling these little toys that were basically cubes with different fidget tools on each end, like a light switch, buttons, a spinning volume-like knob, etc. I asked the lady what they were for. She said that autistic kids really like them. I played with it for a few seconds and responded, “Man, those autistic kids really know what’s up.” I then bought one for me and one for my ex’s 7 y/o nephew. He loved it! Like a year later, I find out I’m autistic, so I go into the deep dive of learning about autism and find out that autistic kids often flap their hands when they’re excited. Guess who else did that? My ex’s nephew.

Another incident was when I was at my friend’s house and saw his 3 y/o daughter walking on her toes. I pointed it out, and the mom said, “Yeah, she got that from [the father’s] side of the family. 😮‍💨” I said, “Hmm…I get it. I used to walk like that, too. It hurts to hit your heel on the ground and provides for better shock absorption.” About 3 months later, the father tells me he’s autistic.

I was so oblivious!! 🤦 😆