Updated November 11, 2014.

On NBC's Nightly News, Actor/comedian/producer Jerry Seinfeld said that he thinks he may have some traits of autism "on a very drawn-out scale."  Expanding on this statement, he added,  "You know, never paying attention to the right things... Basic social engagement is really a struggle....I'm very literal. When people talk to me and they use expressions, sometimes I don't know what they're saying.

But I don't see it as dysfunctional. I just think of it as an alternate mindset."

What does this statement mean to the autism community? Perhaps not surprisingly, it's drawn a lot of positive and negative response.

Autism Speaks, which has invited Seinfeld to headline its fundraisers for years, has a very positive perspective on Seinfeld's revelations.  In their Facebook page, they note:"Seinfeld has been a champion of the autism community and Autism Speaks for years. The autism spectrum is very broad, representing a diverse community of individuals with a range of talents as well as challenges. There are many people on the spectrum who can relate to Jerry’s heartfelt comments about his own experiences."

John Elder Robison, an adult with autism and author of two memoirs on the subject, is also positive in his response. In an article in Psychology Today's blog, he says:

Whenever someone says, “autism made me the success I am today,” in whatever way they mean, and in whatever field . . . we take a step toward recognizing that autism confers both gift and disability on us.  Society needs us, but we also need society – or at least its respect and resources.  For the broader public to see examples of autistic strength can only be good.

On the other hand... plenty of people within the autism community -- including both autistic adults and parents -- are angry about Seinfeld's statement, fearing that it turns autism into a quirk as opposed to a major disability. Marie Myung-Ok Lee of Salon worries about the implications of "I'm autistic too!" announcements by celebrities:

"The danger with announcements like Seinfeld’s — or fictional portrayals of the everyman autistic like Ray Romano’s Hank character on “Parenthood,” who self-diagnoses his autism after reading a book about Asperger’s syndrome — is that autism, a neurological condition, becomes almost fashionable. Who wouldn’t want some odd quirkiness to make you memorable?

Seinfeld told Brian Williams that one symptom of his autism is that he over-literalizes language–e.g., the expression “the apple of my eye” makes no sense to him, as no one’s eye has an apple. You can hear echoes of his comedy in here, the implicit takeaway becomes the idea that autism could be an enviable driver of creativity...

...What I fear is that these public faces of autism will allow society, and more importantly, policymakers, mentally off the hook. You can have autism and get a PhD! It helps you write jokes! Your charming quirks and aggravating behaviors are now explainable.

Whether Seinfeld's personality has much in common with autism is for his doctors to determine. What does, perhaps, raise eyebrows is his response to a question from People Magazine as to "how he's able to continue to work and put himself in social settings, including his new web series in which he regularly communes with friends and other comedians." Seinfeld's response, "I know that that's the healthiest thing I can do." Knowing at least a little bit about autism, I feel it's fair to say that few adults on the spectrum could (or would) do what Seinfeld does -- just because others say "it's good for you."