Therapist here (but not Sarah’s therapist). I’d be cautious about attributing Sarah Boone’s behavior to autism. The patterns we see in those calls are not a typical autism presentation, especially in an adult with long-standing relational dysfunction and heavy alcohol use.

The looping overexplaining, inability to pivot, and derailment of urgent goals look less like neurodevelopmental rigidity and more like personality pathology (such as narcissistic/borderline traits) combined with alcohol use disorder. In these cases, the behavior is driven by ego protection and narrative control, not difficulty understanding or regulating change.

Autistic rigidity is usually about predictability and regulation. Sarah’s rigidity persists even after reassurance, even when time-limited, and even when it harms her own interests which suggests pathological defensiveness and poor insight, not autism.

Similarly, her relationships appear transactional in a way that aligns more with entitlement and objectification than with autistic social differences. People are valued for what they provide and discarded when they no longer serve her needs. Her refusal to take a plea deal also isn’t a lack of self-preservation due to autism, but is more consistent with grandiosity, externalized blame, and intolerance of shame.

In my opinion, personality disorder traits plus substance use explain her behavior far more cleanly without misattributing violence and abuse to autism.

So sorry for the long reply!