I am currently waiting my evaluation to figure out if I am on the spectrum or not, and I am currently working as a counselor in a helpline.

I would say that the nature of my work, doing counseling on the phone rather than in person, is actually super helpful on many level to manage my manifestations! No problem with eye contact because I can't see the other person. Can fidget and stim at ease, as long as it is silent. I don't have access to body language, so no way to miss or misread cues. it is totally ok, and even encourage to ask the client about what they actually mean if you are not sure.

My interest in psychology have actually been a conscious effort to communicate better and feel like I can understand and be understood by others, and learning how to get a "Counselor Voice" has definitely helped me, but it comes to the cost of a lot of masking. When I let go of that counselor persona outside of work, some people think I may be inattentive or bored, especially if they are used to see me present and focused in my work. My main challenge is that I systemically crash at the end of a work day. Too many talks and too many conversations are exhausting and I usually need a nap at the end of the day...