a sci-fi (perhaps similar to The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula De Guin ) where those sent as ambassadors to be the first to really meet and live with and study and form connections with an alien society, to get an idea of their cultural and social norms, are all autistic because in their society eye contact is see as aggressive and impolite and a bunch of autistic scientists and sociologists and anthropologists were like “i got this”
autistic ambassadors learning all about the cultures of the planet and their biological and varied social functions and it goes really well up until they start sending people who are higher up the command chain but also are allistic and really struggling with all of the social rules and need to be coached like,
“Captain, can I have a word? Listen, you really need to stop trying to initiate eye contact with them, you’re making them really uncomfortable”
“Captain? Again, uh, we talked about the movements. You’re too still; they view complete, steady stillness of the limbs in public/social situations as unusual. It makes them nervous and also makes you seem a little aggressive?? They usually only engage with another being with that much stillness when they’re going to pounce or launch an attack, or are REALLY pissed. Remember the different flaps I taught you? You can also just tap your fingers. Seriously, sir. Your hands are too quiet.”
i dunno i was just thinking about this on my walk. i’d love to see a scifi where the traits of an alien society are well-suited to autistic humans coming in to try and learn and study and share cultures but is really difficult for allistic or NT humans. I just thought it’d be cool to see autistic traits as helping make an autistic protag or team most favorable, instead of always only being a burden or a challenge plot-wise.