Jerry Seinfeld on Nov. 5, 2014, in New York. (Photo: Bryan Bedder, Getty Images for NRDC) 
 
 Jerry Seinfeld is known for joking around, but he's serious when he's talking about autism. 
 
 NBC's Brian Williams interviewed the comedian on Thursday's Nightly News, calling Seinfeld "the most restless man in comedy" as they talked about Seinfeld's popular Web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. 
 
 As part of the chat, the topic turned to Seinfeld and what makes him tick, about his love for comedy and about still doing stand-up after all these years. 
 
 "Yeah. And this gets to a larger life perspective," says Seinfeld. "If you're more interested in what you have achieved or what your financial position enables you to do than that thing that got those things, you're screwed — in my opinion, you're screwed. 
 
 Williams notes that at 60, Seinfeld is still "figuring out who he is. For example: in recent years as he's learned about autism spectrum disorders, he sees it in himself." 
 
 Seinfeld confirms that, saying, "I think, on a very drawn-out scale, I think I'm on the spectrum." 
 
 "Why? What are the markers?" asks Williams. 
 
 "You know, never paying attention to the right things," says Seinfeld. "Basic social engagement is really a struggle." 
 
 Seinfeld goes on to explain, "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." 
 
 Although most people with autism spectrum disorders have problems with social, emotional and communication skills, these issues can vary widely, as Seinfeld suggests. Some people on the autism spectrum may feel uncomfortable socializing, but excel in math and science careers. Others on the spectrum may not speak or make any eye contact at all, and shun human touch. 
 
 People with autism may repeat certain behaviors and avoid changes in their daily activities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people with autism also have different ways of learning, paying attention or reacting. 
 
 Contributing: Liz Szabo 
 
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 Autism advocates on Friday applauded Jerry Seinfeld's disclosure that he may be autistic, while warning against making him the poster boy for a disorder that is no laughing matter. 
 
 “I think, on a very drawn-out scale, I think I’m on the spectrum,” Seinfeld told NBC Nightly News’ Brian Williams. 
 
 "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," he said. "But I don't see it as dysfunctional, I just think of it as an alternate mindset." 
 
 Seinfeld's revelation sends a positive message that the autism community is much larger and more diverse than people often understand, Ari Ne’eman, president of the Autistic Advocacy Network, told NBC News. Ne’eman is living with autism and says that there is still a tremendous amount of stigma surrounding autism that hinders the opportunities available to those with the disorder. 
 
 “Think about what this does for a closeted autistic person who goes into the workplace knowing that their co-workers have just seen somebody they know, respect, and have a positive opinion of, like Jerry Seinfeld, identify in this way — it’s a valuable and important step in building a greater tolerance for autism,” Ne’eman said. 
 
 Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks, agreed, pointing out that “there are many people on the autism spectrum who can relate to Jerry’s heartfelt comments about his own experiences.” 
 
 However, founding member and president of the National Autism Association, Wendy Fournier, cautions that Seinfeld’s comments run the risk of oversimplifying autism disorder and can potentially harm the very serious effects that autism can have on a severely impacted individual and their loved ones. 
 
 Fournier has a 14-year-old daughter with autism who needs around-the-clock care. 
 
 It is important to remember that autism spectrum disorder is a spectrum disorder, said Tonia Ferguson of the Autism Society: “We have to continue to make people aware of what the spectrum of autism is.”
– Jerry Seinfeld is making headlines for an interview with Brian Williams of NBC in which he says he thinks he's at least mildly autistic. "I think, on a very drawn-out scale, I think I'm on the spectrum," he says. Williams presses him for details, recounts USA Today, and the comedian elaborates: "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." This appears to be a self-diagnosis, and a follow-up story at NBC quotes the president of the National Autism Association who worries that it might oversimplify the disorder. But the president of the Autistic Advocacy Network takes a different view: "Think about what this does for a closeted autistic person who goes into the workplace knowing that their co-workers have just seen somebody they know, respect, and have a positive opinion of, like Jerry Seinfeld, identify in this way—it’s a valuable and important step in building a greater tolerance for autism."