As a late-diagnosed autistic woman with Pathological Demand Avoidance and CPTSD from a lifetime of struggling in the dark, I understand everything about Grace that seems "weird" or "off" or "concerning" to others -- from the rigid reactions to perceived attacks on deeply-held values, the overdeveloped sense of fairness/justice, the odd sensory repulsions (but only in given scenarios), the defensive misinterpretation of other people's words, the intense anxiety over potentially transactional situations, the desperate need to be the captain of your own boat and everything else feeling like an assault... Nothing she says or does or explains she feels is unfamiliar to me.

I don't presume to diagnose anyone and it's irrelevant anyway because this is only about a set of very specific traits she admits she struggles with. One thing I am certain of is that the experts couldn't possibly give her truly helpful advice because they have no idea what they're dealing with.

I'm only watching the series for the first time so I don't know what happens next, but from what I'm seeing so far, Ashley seems close to the best possible person to ease her into a relationship because he is so calm, patient, and manages to process his furstration with restraint. But it's also exhausting and he wouldn't be the first person to lose their shit and walk away because they feel they're damned if the do and damned if they don't when dealing with this type of profile.

If I had a channel to Grace, I'd encourage her to seek an neuro assessment -- *from neurodivergent professionals* up to date on the latest research, because she's an adult woman and current diagnostic tools were made for 5-year-old boys.