The most surprising on this journey from realising I’m autistic, through to the diagnosis, and all the efforts to try to understand myself and others, was realising that I see new social situations as jigsaw puzzle where the piece that represents me has been removed.

Since realising that I stopped asking myself ‘what do I say’ as it implies that response is necessary and it may lead to coming up with something silly. Instead I now ask: ‘What do I put in there?’ The choices are: happy Magda, hilarious Magda, relaxed Magda or maybe questioning and challenging one, just to name a few.

That approach makes the situation much clearer for me and makes me find the right reaction quicker even if I don’t understand it and it allows for an extra option: nothing – do not interfere, do not respond, ignore.

I wonder whether the same would apply to other autistics.