Hi. I'm an non-spectrum author - could you help me write better characters?

[Niteowl001]

If you're not going to name what the character has specifically, then there you go. Autism takes so many different forms, if you just write the character in a way that feels realistic for you, then it will probably work out. Most failures of writing autistic characters is trying to make them "feel" autistic rather than just writing a character. Trying to make a character accurate to a real condition paradoxically usually makes the character feel more fake. So just go with your gut.

If you don't NAME the condition, you can't really misrepresent it. Worst case the character is just weird in a non-autistic way, but the character would remain the same character you originally envisioned.

Thank you for your comments. They're thought provoking. I guess my thinking is even if I don't give it a name, people will draw their own conclusions and I know I definitely don't want to perpetuate stereotypes or misunderstandings based on my own ignorance.

I see what you're saying - this character could be just "odd" but I'd really like to provide as accurate a portrayal of someone on the spectrum as possible - if for no other reason than my own sense of having done a job right. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.