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Wow non-autistic people are so weird and awkward... They are uncomfortable to be around... damn normies.
@johnabs I cant speak to your wife and in no way claiming her diagnosis isnt real. But I am of the opinion that 99% of high functioning autism doesnt exist. These are just the few mentally healthy people out of the society who dont play into the toxic social bullshit of everyone else.. People considered "autistic" in america would be popular kids in any social circle in europe.
I agree with your assessment, but unfortunately she is quite autistic (and, in case it needs to be said, I adore her anyway). I wish it were simply a matter of cultural differences for her, but she is rather dependent on me to function in many situations due to both the autism and the other associated co-morbidities she posesses (severe ADHD to the point she can't drive, dyslexia, and she struggles with empathy as well).
I think that she would do better in places with public transportation, and less dangerous travel methods, hence my desire to move to Holland; my hope is the she may be able to live a "more normal" life there.
I also think she may do better in cultures with flatter, more explicit social structures and direct communication, but I think that's a function of her difficulty with "putting herself in other's shoes". I often have to try to explain things to her, things I had to learn via "random search" and direct observation, which do not come naturally to either of us. Of course, this is exacerbated in countries with implicit social rules (e.g. the US and Japan), but I doubt it completely vanishes elsewhere.
Fortunately, many countries are forgiving of foreigners who are learning the ropes, and while it is neither of our intention's to impose ourselves on the patience of others (especially if we are non-citizens of their country) it certainly helps to have a buffer when learning the how to behave in a new culture, especially when it doesn't come naturally to you in the first place.
@johnabs Well like I said I make no assumptions about your wife. She very well may be autistic and im sure still utterly adorable anyway :)
@freemo She is 100% the cutest. I will fight anyone who says otherwise 😂
It is the free* market
*definition of free subject to change according to our terms of service.
@trinsec @freemo I think there's a bit of nuance here, but from my (rather limited) experience, it seems that Europeans are more direct, explicit, and less "social for the sake of socializing" (with some notational abuse here) than Americans.
Hence, I think people who struggle in highly social, more implicit environments are more likely to be labeled autistic (as their behavior/aversion is easier to identify) than in environments with more explicit rules, restricted social interaction, and clearer communication. This effectively makes Americans more likely to be diagnosed (possibly due to skewed diagnostic criteria) than their European counterparts.
Just my two cents, and I obviously could be wrong 
Thats close to it.
In america people create social drama from thin air. So they always expect you to make a ton of social clues to ensure you convey your intent as a friendly person and even then they will find some reason to imply you meant something different from what you said.
So people who just dont engage with that and dont little social cues everywhere and just expect to be taken at face value for what they say are often seen as autistic.
@freemo dang, non-aphantasiacs are so boring.
@freemo
This auto-assumes no autism means you're normal.
I can be testiment against that notion.
@freemo
I find that offensive in the most ridiculous way possible and you should apologize to yourself for reading this nonsense before the following period.
;P
@freemo My wife was recently diagnosed...which I think explains a lot about me, our relationship, and my childhood lmao