Lol, same here! Just about exactly!! It’s almost like you took this comment out of my brain, except there were a select few of the other ‘gifted and talented’ kids who I got along with well…one who I’m still friends with as an adult, who got a late autism diagnosis, too! Ha! I always thought it was weird when I’d get praise for being friendly with the kids in the special education program, or for helping them with their work or whatever.* They were just kids like the rest of us??

(*which I now realize they definitely should’ve had an adult aide to help them paid by the district; not to foist the responsibility onto some poor kid who doesn’t want their friends to be upset from struggling or failing, and depriving these kids of the help they deserved. They deserved so much better. But that’s a whole 'nother rant.)