[CipherThrowaway]

>I'm pretty sure this is related to people "on the spectrum" often having low "theory of mind" capabilities.

FWIW this idea has been losing some ground to the double empathy problem. People who aren't on the spectrum have corresponding poor theory of mind and empathy towards those who are. The problem is at least partially symmetric.

I've noticed a form of cultural cringe in developer communities where we assume that developers tend to be on the spectrum, have uniquely poor communication and social skills and cause social problems more than other working professionals. It's contrary to what I have seen in real life which is that dev teams socialize effectively and form cohesive and healthy cultures as much as any other field. That developers are usually the ones promoting better written norms and more thoughtful and thorough written communication.

The "assumed context" problem is common everywhere. Poor communication, anti-social and toxic behavior are common everywhere in most organizations. Developers are self-conscious of our poor social skills to an extent that is not matched elsewhere.