Small talk can feel like a foreign language - one with no grammar book, no dictionary, and rules everyone else seems to have memorised at birth. For those diagnosed autistic later in life, years of puzzling over 'How are you?' - do they want the truth, a summary, or a polite lie? - can leave deep exhaustion, self-doubt, and a quiet sense of failing at something everyone else finds effortless. This book is not about forcing yourself to be someone else. It is about understanding what small talk actually is, why it drains you, and how to navigate it on your own terms. Drawing on the experiences of late-diagnosed adults and mainstream clinical consensus, it offers practical scripts for the moments that matter, honest strategies for setting boundaries, and permission to step back when you need to. No cures, no fixing, no 'overcoming' - just a clearer map, a steadier hand, and a way through that honours how your brain actually works. Part of The Late Diagnosis Library.