Anyone else on the spectrum struggle hard with job interviews?

I recently interviewed for a position that was advertised and I meet the requirements, and I know I can do the job. But the moment the interview starts, everything shifts.

The questions aren’t even unfair things like “Tell us about a time you handled a difficult situation” or “How does your experience prepare you for this role?” But my brain freezes. I have experiences. I just can’t access them on demand. My answers come out short, stiff, and incomplete. I can feel the interviewer waiting for more detail, but my mind is already blank.

Sometimes I focus so hard on wording my first sentence “correctly” that I forget everything else I wanted to say. Other times I remember the experience after the interview is over and think, "Why couldn’t I explain that?"

What’s frustrating is that if you gave me time to write my answers, or asked me to show my skills directly, you’d get a completely different version of me. One that’s confident, thoughtful, and prepared.

I’m trying to figure out how to get better at this whether that’s practicing scripts, asking for accommodations, or finding interview formats that don’t rely so heavily on rapid verbal storytelling.