Abstract thinking and autism? What does it mean?

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Why do I constantly read autistic people can't think in abstract terms, or have issues with abstract thinking in general?
Do they only refer to idioms and language stuff or is it something else too?
I have issues with this. I don't understand what they are referring to exactly.
I like philosophy and metaphors. I love metaphors, I use them a lot and I always try to come up with new ones. I write poetry sometimes, and even when I write about concrete issues I tend to use some kind of metaphoric, symbolic language, especially when I write about mental illness (I have a bunch of mental issues).
So it makes me think....what are they talking about? Am I missing something here?
Also, I can understand songs or poems that use metaphors.

I don't usually take idioms literally now, but I used to when I was younger. But now that I'm in college I notice I have issues with overly theoretical subjects, and when it happens, concrete examples are the only things that make me understand.

I don't know, what does thinking abstractly mean exactly?

JK. Seriously though, I imagine that there is this bubble of what NT's have in mind, like insinuations, not factoring in various parameters(such as cultural background, age, etc.), and if/when a person doesn't get it, it's because the person doesn't "think abstractly."

I think pretty abstractly actually, non-verbal or pre-verbal, if I try and describe this to a NT, and ask how they think, I get an error 404. So, go figure.