Delayed processing is not exactly uncommon in autistic people. My husband knows not to repeat himself immediately when I ask “what did you say?” because usually I heard him just fine and just need a minute or two to process. Him repeating himself actually stops the processing and I need to start again.

There’s a pretty interesting book that also explains this quite well: “Sensory perceptual issues in autism and Asperger’s syndrome” by Olga Bogdashina. It’s a bit older which explains the title but still very interesting.

MI6 did the same stuff for years in Northern Ireland. Protecting known murderers because they were assets. Nothing new here.