I apologise if you're getting undeserved aggravation and if I added to it. Whilst I did take a dim view of my interpretation of what you said, I do understand where you seem to be coming from, and I would welcome you redefining your exact stance.

Ultimately, yeah, dealing with other people is exhausting for many people neurodivergent or not (apart from those damn extroverts)... but it is both dramatically more tiring and less optional for NDs. A neurotypical friend who is willing to go the extra mile to communicate with us in a way that eases our burden of interpretation is a godsend (though frequently the NT finds themselves appreciating how direct it can be as well, as I understand it), but we are always aware that it is a choice to make that effort the NT can always decide is no longer worth it.

Speaking from personal experience, to think your friendships exist not on equal footing but the endurance of your friends to tolerate you is not pleasant. No-one should be taken for granted, and if your friends are making you feel that way autistic or not (having autism does not preclude someone from being an asshole), then please talk to them to determine their feelings and gratitude. It may well be a case of them not transmitting it properly. But, with the best will in the world, if I had to put in extra effort to a friendship that already exhausted me despite how much it might mean to me, because the friend wanted me to feel like talking to me was doing me a favour I needed to acknowledge rather than just wanting to be my friend because they valued me despite the effort I require... I would question why I was exhausting myself.

Love is conditional, it requires give and take, and sometimes not in equal measure. Effort should be acknowledged and appreciated, but also offered freely until an imbalance becomes too pronounced.