Looking back, so many people I think had ASD- alone in this?

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I'm apparently too verbose for the subject here... I might be remaking an old thread but I'm new here & didn't see this.

Am I the only one who since being diagnosed sort of thinks the people I've been closest to in life/related to the most might have also been on the autism spectrum?

I sort of feel like a crazy person but really, all my closest friends throughout my life (most of whom I've lost touch with now), the people I do keep in touch with online now, I see all the "odd" ways that we are similar. It seems logical to me that I would have identified better with people who were not NTs, but you can't really just pick back up communication with people to ask them if they think they might have some form of autism. Ha.

Has this happened to anyone else?

In my experience is common for autistics especially newly diagnosed ones to suddenly notice autism everywhere. Diagnosis often produces hyperawareness of autism born out of the relief and realization that "I am not alone"/ "there are others like me"

These people became your friends because you had something things in common with them. That does not necessary make them autistic it could be they are quirky or just non mainstream "neurotypicals" . Like you said you can't just walk up and ask them because even if they are autistic they might not know and are not ready to know. At most you can disclose your autism and see how they react. Disclosing your autism is fraught with unknowns. People have had widely varied reactions when they have disclosed from acceptance to "we knew all along" to being treated differently in negative ways then they were before they disclosed.

Losing track of close friends is common on the spectrum by the way.

I've only met one person ever who I (in retrospect) thought might be a fellow aspie.

I've seen possible traits in some people, but not the full picture.

I guess, that two of my closest friends, a couple, are on the spectrum in BAP range.

I had one friend in particular who was also a dancer who was strange like I was, and as a dancer in night clubs believe me, we stood out as the oddballs, very similar thought processes etc... I remembered last night after posting this that she had a brother who was autistic, fairly severely I believe. I also had a friend growing up who used to drive me bonkers because she would come over to my house & then not leave, because she did not understand hints or sarcasm whatsoever, and didn't get when it was time to go because everyone else was leaving. She ended up having a child who was nonverbal autistic. Maybe there was just a higher concentration where I am from? Sort of ha ha, but not really.

I play D&D. Many D&D players seem to be on the spectrum. And most D&D groups that I have been in seem to have a high tolerance for eccentrics.

I sometimes attend SF/fantasy conventions, anime conventions and game conventions. (I am talking about the kinds of games that generally involve rolling dice.) A pretty high percentage of these people have AS traits.

The lack of social skills common among fandom is pretty much acknowledged by the community and even joked about. And the strong special interest is a big thing as well. Collection obsession is really common too. Other traits are less obvious, but still there.

But I also think I feel it on a psychological level. I am normally real bad with big groups of people, but it is much easier for me to deal with big groups when it as it a con. There is a sense of belonging I do not feel many other places.