Why are mood swings associated with AS?

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From what I have read, a lot of aspies seem to have moods that swing quite a bit. Mine seem to swing every 2-10 days between generally negative and generally postive at the moment. So, why are mood swings so common with AS?

they're not.

I also get mood swings sometimes. They come suddenly (especially if something upsets me), but they always go from positive to negative/less positive and hardly ever the other way around.

I get a lot of mood swings, but I have always assumed they were from the depression/anxiety end of it all.

I can tell you that for ME mood swings come about as a result of sensory issues or being disturbed - if while I'm experiencing sensory overload someone expects me to then concentrate on a conversation or if I'm hyper-focused on something just to have someone interrupt me then you bet I'm going to have a sudden outburst of moodiness. You can have so many things going on in your head at once the slightest thing can tip it over the edge, thus to everyone else it looks like sudden mood swing and often without cause.

I don't really get what I would consider mood swings very often at all.

For me, it's usually depression or sensory related.

I know that mood swings are said to be typical for people (especially adults) with ADHD but I don't have any.

I tend to have a short temper with specific situations, for instance I can get full on angry very easily just after I get home from work if something's been moved around in my room or something like that. I've always put it down to the stress of working all day and driving home on top of that. I'm usually fine after a few minutes though.

Apparently manic depression and autism are correlated.

I think it is only assumed that people on the spectrum may be more likely to develop mood disorders. But I don't agree. I think people on the spectrum have more to deal with than the NT world so we have normal reactions to our difficulties, and those normal reactions may involve being in a mood.

My husband has noted I have mood swings. I don't think it's exclusive to AS because women have them too when they go though their time of the month or are pregnant or go through a menopause, especially if they have PMS.

I think my mood swings may come from anxiety and woman hormones. I also know I get very excited like a child over certain things and he finds it cute. I am not sure what that is part of. Maybe my personality or having immature emotions or both.

I don't really have mood swings. Something external would usually have to set off a bad mood for me.

I have some sort of mood swings, according to my friend and my mother. I don't always notice it, though. Sensory and emotional overload usually pushes me on the depression / anxiety side, while some success in my life (including social achievements) or a pleasant event such as going to a bicycle tour can elevate my mood. Sometimes watching my favorite tv show (Star Trek DS9) or reading a very good book (for the Nth time) is enough, but there are periods in which I rather lean towards depression. However, there always seems to be a cause or causes behind it, at least in hindsight.