Bronies and Autism

[Shanks 10,817]

Here are two different types of autism. One is verbal and the other is nonverbal.

While it is true that there are some that have Autism that are verbal and some that are not stating that they fit two types of Autism is a significant over simplification. I didn't learn to talk until I was 5 yet can speak now more effectively than your average person, sure I have a few challenges with eye contact and still misinterpret certain social cues but many people can't tell I am on the spectrum unless I tell them. This is why it is called a spectrum because there are a large degree of traits common to the spectrum that individuals on it can have to varying degrees. It is possible to be non verbal for example yet have a higher than average IQ, and it is not entirely true that someone who is able to function in society dosen't have Autism. Aspergers and Autism are basically cousins, in my younger years I had traits much more common with stereotypical "classic" Autism but as I got older I began to develop traits that people associate with Aspergers and I am not the only one that is the case for.

[Dark Qiviut 22,583]

@@Stardust Balance is 100% right, @@Nari. You're using stereotypes by associating autism with the extremes. Middleground to autism exist, too.

 

 

 

Asperger's isn't autism?! o_O

Asperger's is autism, because it's part of the autism spectrum. More specifically, the "higher-functioning" end.

 

 

 

If you're able to attend Brony conventions, go to college, work, drive, vote, create music, pony art, run a YouTube channel or be an active member of a forum you don't have autism. You may have learning disabilities, aspergers, down syndrome or various forms of social anxiety and depression. Not autism...

Your point right here, for that matter, is exceedingly ableist. You're treating autism like it's a disease or cancer when it's neither. People with autism are more than capable of living healthy, independent lives as those without autism. And Asperger's Syndrome is autism on the "higher-functioning" end. To say that high-functioning autistic people don't have autism shows us how little you understand autism.

[Vox 870]

I notice there's a larger presence of it among this group, but it's a bit overblown as is the stereotype of being a social outcast and or socially awkward. That being said, i don't have any form of autism, just ADHD.

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

I am also an autistic brony.

[Concerned Bystander 2,905]

One thing I have noticed across a number of different sites is a propensity for some people (not everyone, just some) to self-diagnose.  In addition to this, certain online communities (I won't name names, I'm sure you can guess the communities I'm referring to) have created a culture within themselves where it has become 'trendy' to have at least one mental illness or condition.

 

The above in no way precludes the possibility that MLP has a particular appeal to those with autism, In fact I would imagine that, given the shows visual appeal, and its' positive message of inclusion and tolerance, that it speaks to any number of marginalised or minority groups.

 

However, I would guess that if you ran a poll on certain websites, the figures of people claiming autism may be exaggerated.

[Foxy Socks 2,603]

It looks like there is a noticible number of people on this fandom who are autistic; not that that's a bad thing. However, I don't think there are many more here than any other fandom, but I could be wrong. Anti Bronies commonly use it as an 'insult', because they are too ignorant to understand it, thinking it just means that Autism is just being anti social, when it is more than just that.

 

I actually like the fact that people on the autism spectrum are more open here. Although it can be annoying when people just use it as an 'excuse', but that isn't everyone.

 

I may or may not be on the spectrum myself.

[Holiday Agnaktor 1,436]

Well, first of all, in my school the term autism is thrown around a lot. Most of the time it doesn't really mean autism, and it's just used because it's funny, apparently. I mean, one of my friends also has autism, and he uses the word autism in weird ways as well. I don't really get it.

For example, if someone is stubborn, or doesn't want to do something, or is following the rules closely, my classmates tend to say "Don't be that autistic."

I used to make a big deal out of it, but most of them don't even know what autism entails.

 

I think autistic people like mlp because it's a friendly show, people don't really judge as much, it's happy and forgiving. Being on this forum feels like social things on easy mode. Mistakes don't matter as much.

I'm not sure if that's true, but it feels like it to me. Every time I make a tiny mistake in my school I'll get shot down immediately, but that hasn't really happened to me here yet.

[PictiPie 31]

I too think it's to broad a term. When my son was diagnosed with it 13 years ago most people I met with autism were like him. Non verbal, tantrums, stimming etc. My son is now 15 and through constant training the last couple years has only started using the toilet, feeding himself and almost stopped the tantrums. Though in the last 5 years or so I've met so many autistic people that you could hardly tell. I think it's a quick diagnoses.

[Shanks 10,817]

I too think it's to broad a term. When my son was diagnosed with it 13 years ago most people I met with autism were like him. Non verbal, tantrums, stimming etc. My son is now 15 and through constant training the last couple years has only started using the toilet, feeding himself and almost stopped the tantrums. Though in the last 5 years or so I've met so many autistic people that you could hardly tell. I think it's a quick diagnoses.

Actually the criteria for diagnosis has changed a great deal over the years as well as what is thought to be Autism. I was diagnosed in 1988 at age 2 when even most doctors hardly knew anything about it and the default answer was simply to institutionalize everyone. Many of the people where you can hardly tell they are Autistic have actually gone through similar struggles as your son in the past with me being one of them. Early intervention, auditory integration and various other treatments and therapies have greatly improved the neurological function of many on the Autism spectrum to where more and more of them can at least pass for "normal" but just because they can pass for it dosen't mean that they no longer have Autism but only that they have advanced and improved enough to where some people may not be able to tell.

 

Many of these individuals face a unique challenge, they appear "normal" and many people may not know they have Autism and thus may not be sympathetic to the challenges they still face. Some of them may not even believe they ever had it to begin with and that is because the people that judge simply haven't seen the kinds of struggles many on the Autism spectrum have often for many years to reach that point. I didn't learn to talk until I was 5, had severe sensory issues and violent tantrums in my younger years, was extremely emotionally unstable and had severe depression and anger issues in my teen years. Made great improvements over the years yet still had a lot of trouble with basic social interaction even in my late teens and early adult years and even now at 30 years old can still misinterpret certain social cues.

 

In other words the challenges of individuals on the "higher" end of the Autism spectrum may not always be as obvious and they may have overcome certain other challenges that are common in more severe cases but that still dosen't mean the challenges aren't real or shouldn't be addressed. There have been great advances in treatment for children and teens and I think we should keep up the good work but the problem is once many of these kids grow up they often fall through the cracks with a system where many of them will regress due to not being able to get the help they need so they can continue to function in mainstream society. Case in point is the high unemployment rate among adults with Autism, it is even higher than the unemployment rate for individuals with other neurological differences and disabilities and is completely unacceptable.

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/04/21/401243060/young-adults-with-autism-more-likely-to-be-unemployed-isolated

[FizzyGreen 909]

Like stated in the posts above,

autistic people are lonely and/or unsure sometimes. So, they like to hold on to things like MLP.

[Aurora Storm 83]

I'm on the spectrum. It may appeal to us because it's a show focusing on what many of us struggle with, understanding friendship, social norms, a sense of belonging. Those things appeal to me, but I'm also in it for the music.

[Eloquence 2,076]

My Little Pony is a very calming, accepting, and even a kind of therapeutic show, which is why it attracts a lot of neuroatypical viewers. Of all of the pony fans I've met irl, I can't think of one that doesn't have some sort of mental disorder, from depression to anxiety to autism to PTSD. I myself am not autistic, but I have been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and will often watch the show to lessen the effects of an anxiety attack.

 

This fandom has a lot of neuroatypical fans in it as compared to other fandoms. It is a big part of why people treat the fandom with hatred and disrespect, but it's also a big part of what makes the fandom so creative and unique, and to me there is nothing more important than making the places I spend time in within this fandom feel accepting to all.

[Randimaxis 8,664]

I have Asperger's; so what?

 

Listen, I've come a long way down my particular path in life.  I've seen a number of things, and done my fair share of them.  I have a wonderful wife, two beautiful children, and though my life isn't a bed of roses, it ain't no bed of thorns, either.  I live, I laugh, I work, I play... I appear to be about as average as air.  

 

Ask any of the folks who have known me for a length of time, though - I'm WEIRD.  Not exactly BAD weird; to be honest, the folks that like me tend to like me a great deal... but each and every last one will tell you that I'm "unique" (or "friggin' weird as hell", depending on who you ask).  And this is a very diverse group of folks I'm talking about - all races, creeds, religions, what-have-you... and they all share the same opinion on me:  He's weird, but he's cool.

 

Personally, I don't like labels; they represent mankind's obsession with defining their world, and I'd rather be kinda 'in my own league', so to speak.  I believe that putting a name to something has a bad tendency of limiting it - and I'd rather not have something hanging over my head that others use to assume they can second guess me.

 

That being said, I have spent time with full-blown Autistics.  I had a friend in middle school who was so bad off, he had to be strapped into a chair on the school bus because he was physically incapable of holding still.  He drooled, he mumbled and he had bathroom issues.  HE WOULD ALSO WHIP MY ASS IN CHESS EVERY TIME WE PLAYED.  He taught me that, despite whatever the appearance is, the mind, heart and soul contained within is the important part.  There's more of that present in Autistic people than most even realize.

 

All the folks out there who use Autism as an insult?  Yeah, they have no damn clue what they're talking about.  Chances are, it falls into the category of "I don't understand it, so that makes it dumb" for those folks, so they toss out the insults because they probably feel helpless to tease us any other way - after all, we're a bunch of (somewhat) grown men and women who like pastel-colored, tantrum-having, cross-eyed and sometimes saccharine sweet ponies; to be honest, what words can they throw at us that we haven't heard (and laughed about) before?

 

As for the Autism Connection, I'm truly not certain... but if I had to take a stab at it, I'd say that it's the fact that there's an innocence there that isn't present in a whole lot of cartoons nowadays, what with the 'Cartoons Are For Adults Too' mentality.  It also entertains the younger set WITHOUT talking down to them - another thing many cartoons are guilty of today.  Innocent and intelligent; tell me how many cartoons these days can TRULY boast both?  (Remember: Toilet humor (fart jokes and the like) doesn't count as innocent; it's considered juvenile, at best.)  I think that appeal is somewhat universal, but those two factors are what I point at to be the 'Autism Magnets', so to speak.

 

The innocence brings us in, as it helps us feel a connection to the relative innocence of our younger years, and the intelligence keeps us coming back for more ponies because we're REALLY sick of all the idiocy on modern television.  The show appeals to the smart kid in all of us. 

 

Okay, words said... I'll just be over here now...  *hides in corner*

[Eloquence 2,076]

@@Nari, there's a very personally inspiring person who I'd like to tell you about. Her name is Temple Grandin, she's an expert on animal behavior who has singlehandedly altered and improved the livestock industry through her inventions and innovations. She's won awards and written books, one of which is sitting on my bookshelf right now. She's currently a professor at Colorado State University, and she is an inspiration to anyone who like me is interested in studying and understanding behavior.

 

Temple Grandin has autism.

 

She was diagnosed at the age of four in 1951, a time when autism was so badly understood and undiagnosed that only the most blatant cases were even recognized. She went to college, has a fulfilling career, and could participate in any fan community she wanted to in ways that would undoubtedly enrich said community greatly.

 

There are many people like Temple in this world, and there always have been. Autistic people can be just as capable as you are, they're just capable in different ways. Frankly, it is also very irresponsible for you to be claiming to understand a disorder better than the people who have it or the psychologists that have spent the larger part of their lives working to understand it, as such spreading of misinformation could be damaging to autistic and non-autistic readers alike. I would hope that you keep what you've learned here in mind in the future, and not spread such falsehoods again. There are many autistic people on this forum, whether you choose to acknowledge that fact or not, and I think you would enjoy this forum much better if you did not put yourself in opposition with them. I would like to think that this is a community centered around the goals of understanding and harmony, after all, much like the TV show that brought all of us here.

[Gearbox10mm 794]

@@Nari, there's a very personally inspiring person who I'd like to tell you about. Her name is Temple Grandin, she's an expert on animal behavior who has singlehandedly altered and improved the livestock industry through her inventions and innovations. She's won awards and written books, one of which is sitting on my bookshelf right now. She's currently a professor at Colorado State University, and she is an inspiration to anyone who like me is interested in studying and understanding behavior.

 

Temple Grandin has autism.

 

She was diagnosed at the age of four in 1951, a time when autism was so badly understood and undiagnosed that only the most blatant cases were even recognized. She went to college, has a fulfilling career, and could participate in any fan community she wanted to in ways that would undoubtedly enrich said community greatly.

 

There are many people like Temple in this world, and there always have been. Autistic people can be just as capable as you are, they're just capable in different ways. Frankly, it is also very irresponsible for you to be claiming to understand a disorder better than the people who have it or the psychologists that have spent the larger part of their lives working to understand it, as such spreading of misinformation could be damaging to autistic and non-autistic readers alike. I would hope that you keep what you've learned here in mind in the future, and not spread such falsehoods again. There are many autistic people on this forum, whether you choose to acknowledge that fact or not, and I think you would enjoy this forum much better if you did not put yourself in opposition with them. I would like to think that this is a community centered around the goals of understanding and harmony, after all, much like the TV show that brought all of us here.

 

The movie by the same name about her life story is an amazing film. That last scene always gets to me.

 

 

[just a luna fan 50]

I have nothing against people with autism and I don't think being a brony or pegasister has anything to do with it

[----- 477]

I have asperger's as well and recently asked myself why I like the show, except of the fact that it is entertaining.

I think one of the reasons could be the faces with the big eyes.

Sometimes I have trouble to read the facial expressions of people correctly, but with these huge eyes and the sometimes over the top reactions it is actually pretty clear what they mean with it.

Of course this does not only apply to MLP but more cartoons in general as well as anime.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Fluidty

[Rainbow Diamonds 282]

I think My Little Pony attracts autistic people rather than people who don't have autism because autistic people usually don't follow social norms. Social norms say that a grown man shouldn't watch My Little Pony. Someone who is on the autistic spectrum would be less likely to care, so that's why I think that it seems common for bronies to have autism or anything that's part of the autistic spectrum. I personally have mild functioning autism. I can't function in society, but I can sometimes look neurotypical. 

[Stardust Balance 7,740]

I think My Little Pony attracts autistic people rather than people who don't have autism because autistic people usually don't follow social norms. Social norms say that a grown man shouldn't watch My Little Pony. Someone who is on the autistic spectrum would be less likely to care, so that's why I think that it seems common for bronies to have autism or anything that's part of the autistic spectrum. I personally have mild functioning autism. I can't function in society, but I can sometimes look neurotypical. 

I... Don't think many watch the show just because "F*ck the norm." XD 

[Rainbow Diamonds 282]

I... Don't think many watch the show just because "F*ck the norm." XD 

Maybe they aren't aware that watching My Little Pony isn't acceptable according to society standards? That's why I watch the show. The colorful talking ponies being for little girls went over my head. I think people who have higher functioning autism probably like the show because of the big eyes, though. It's easy to make eye contact when the eyes are big. I'm not sure because I'm not high functioning. 

[Stardust Balance 7,740]

Maybe they aren't aware that watching My Little Pony isn't acceptable according to society standards? That's why I watch the show. The colorful talking ponies being for little girls went over my head. I think people who have higher functioning autism probably like the show because of the big eyes, though. It's easy to make eye contact when the eyes are big. I'm not sure because I'm not high functioning. 

No I think the majority are aware of the disapproval.  

[Rainbow Diamonds 282]

No I think the majority are aware of the disapproval.

Then it's the eyes or the lack of a lot of detail in the art. Then again, most brony artists love detail, so I'm going with the eyes. Right?

[Stardust Balance 7,740]

Then it's the eyes or the lack of a lot of detail in the art. Then again, most brony artists love detail, so I'm going with the eyes. Right?

Probably, I guess? Personally I watch the show for its stories, its characters, its originality and creativity. They'd have small eyes and I wouldn't care less. XD 

[Rainbow Diamonds 282]

Probably, I guess? Personally I watch the show for its stories, its characters, its originality and creativity. They'd have small eyes and I wouldn't care less. XD 

I probably wouldn't get into it if the characters had small eyes personally. Small eyes creep me out, especially on cartoon characters. 

[Aurora Storm 83]

I think My Little Pony attracts autistic people rather than people who don't have autism because autistic people usually don't follow social norms. Social norms say that a grown man shouldn't watch My Little Pony. Someone who is on the autistic spectrum would be less likely to care, so that's why I think that it seems common for bronies to have autism or anything that's part of the autistic spectrum. I personally have mild functioning autism. I can't function in society, but I can sometimes look neurotypical. 

Can I ask how your autism affects you? I have higher functioning autism but it still is hard to function in society, daily tasks, sensory overload, communication issues, etc.  But when I'm in my comfort zone people can't tell. My husband didn't believe me when he first met me (I was playing a video game with a well known friend) and I told him. Then we started dating and he had no doubt after that.

 

I like the show because there are all kinds of personalities and even if they tease or misunderstand each other, no one seems to look down on anyone else or try to change them. I think that would appeal to a lot of autistic people.