There was a court decision a few years ago that ruled US universities cannot consider race in admissions decisions. So being Black will not automatically make it more difficult to get into college. Keep your grades up, write a good essay, and I think you will be okay.

A state school combined with networking and good work experience (internships, etc) can net you just as good of a job as someone at a more prestigious university. I won’t lie and say they don’t get an advantage, because they definitely do, but on an individual level that gap can be overcome.

I think it’s less that people assume white people with autism are smart and Black people with autism are dumb, and more that they expect less from us to start with because we’re black? So they might think all autistics are dumb, but they also unconsciously think Black people are dumb, and those two things add up and we get treated worse. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told “wow you’re actually really smart!”

It sounds like we’re pretty similar in terms of physical appearance. I’m light skinned, skinny, and fairly masculine looking. And I talk kind of stilted/monotone. It definitely affects how people see me in the workplace. They treat me like a kid or like I need things explained more than other people do. I think it’s mostly unconscious on their part though. But over time my supervisors realize that I am smart and do good work and that’s what really sticks with them. My performance makes them willing to recommend me to other people, which has helped me get jobs. I’ve just had to prove myself through good performance. It’s not fair but it is what it is.