[surge]

Clueless isn't what they really mean, clueless means you have no idea what's going on. You can know what's going on but obsess over minute details or exact accuracy of statements that have no real bearing on the larger conversation. Clueless doesn't describe the tendency to do that. People call others obsessive compulsive all the time, no one's defending the self esteems of people with actual diagnosed OCD, because its understood its said with some levity and not being seriously derogatory to someone with serious issues with it.

Yes, I recognize the irony in pointing this out. I also recognize the irony we're even having this conversation because its due to the exact tendency the person was trying to describe, when in the grand scheme, no one cares.

[surge]

Addendum: To be clearer, it's usually short hand for the spectrum, or more accurately someone on the shallower end of the spectrum (like a Sheldon or a Sherlock/House to draw from pop culture versions of it) whose an adult who can deal with criticism, not like that kid or someone whose closer to what people think of as "Rain Man".

There is even someone in the comments whose Autistic who says they're fine with it, they're adults, give them more credit. the coddling betrays a lower opinion of them then an average person.

[totalZero]

I wouldn't describe it as coddling to avoid a topic. I'd call it tact.

I can't believe you actually think it's 100% cool to go around calling stuff autistic. This whole wall of text basically boils down to that for me.