[…] but the same action can have a different meaning for different neurotypes. I especially notice this distinction when I hear someone say, "Let me finish!" If the person is autistic, it usually means an interruption has threatened to derail their train of thought. I sometimes say it out of desperation, begging for permission to rescue the ideas quickly slipping from my mind. On the other hand, people who are neurotypical often seem to say it out of annoyance, followed by, "Everything will make sense in a minute if you just keep listening"—as if my interjection were a sign of childish impatience. But when I interrupt, it's never out of impatience. Sometimes it's because I failed to notice a better moment to enter the conversation, but more often it's genuine confusion due to missing some information that would put everything else into context. In that case, letting someone finish means memorizing the nonsensical sounds, then replaying them back to myself once I have the key to unlock their meaning. So, what should we do? Give autistics the right to finish, and withhold that right from everyone else? No, just be mindful that someone's internal state may be different than you expect, and different than you'd feel if you were acting like that.
— from What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic by Annie Kotowicz
