[timschmidt]

There are some relevant studies which suggest a connection for at least some autism spectrum folks:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02593-7

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-06440-4

It's far from conclusive, not representative of the majority of folks with autism diagnoses, and needs more replication and investigation. But it could be a thing. Speaking as a spectrum-y red-haired middle-european.