Characters with autism

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

What characters in the show (Not just ponies) do you think would be most likely to have autism?

[Kings&Hooves14 616]

Out of the Mane Six, I think that Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie display the most autistic behavior.

 

Twilight: 

 

1. obsessive behavior 

2. fear of social situations (in the first couple of seasons)

3. highly intelligent

4. can be rather awkward

 

Pinkie:

 

1. has difficulty understanding certain basic concepts

2. obsessive behavior

3. disregards/doesn't fully understand social norms 

 

I also believe that Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, and Gabby (the griffon) could have autism.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Kings&Hooves14

[cmarston1 5,951]

None of them.

If the show couldn't even kill of Tank, then I highly doubt that any of the characters in the show could have something like autism.

[TheAnimatorOfficial 566]

None of them.

If the show couldn't even kill of Tank, then I highly doubt that any of the characters in the show could have something like autism.

It's obvious they are hinting at it but not actually addressing due to the target audience.

[cider float 2,535]

I don't think they would specify characters with a different mental setup than others and they shouldn't. I mean Discord is a host of different mental disorders, Pinkie, Twilight, heck all the mane six have some kind of mental disorder. If you asked me though we label too much mental disorder when we can just call them "personality traits" or quirks...

[Nerdy Luigi 2,064]

The only one I could see somewhat easily as a possibility is Twilight, but it would be more like Asperger's than severe autism (Twilight's IQ is high assumably)

 

Twilight does have obsessive behaviors that mirror the symptoms, but I don't see any for sure things to point to it myself (I've studied autism since I had the thought that I might have it myself (Asperger's specifically)). Also she's socially inept (social skills have developed throughout the series, though). But I haven't seen more definitive symptoms than that.

Edited October 14, 2016 by TwillyFSniper

[sweetolebob18 724]

I'd say most likely would be Maud.  Over at Fimfiction there is a story Unwell by SaddleSoapOpera.   Twilight has ACMS (Abstract Cutie Mark Syndrome = Pony Asperger's).  Much of the story is her friends' reactions to the news.  There is also a partially completed sequel.

[SunshineSmiles 3]

I honestly think Lemon Zest is autistic, and there are a lot of signs that she is. First off, there's the scene where she makes Twilight listen to her music. It's something she loves and wanted to share, so she thought Twilight would love it too. Of course, that was not the case, and Lemon didn't know this. There's also her wild and obnoxious behaviors she displayed throughout the movie as well. She also never really socialized with anyone, except for Vinyl who shares her love of music. She also showed no reaction whatsoever when she accidentally kicked Twilight's pendant during the speed skating event, causing those plant monster-like things and portals to appear. The fact that she was picked to represent Crystal Prep also says a lot about her intelligence (and/or athletic abilities). Principal Cinch wanted only the best of the best to compete in the games and she hand picked the students who she believed would do the best and uphold Crystal Prep's reputation. The fact that Lemon was one of them says a lot. Not only was she chosen to compete, but she also got one of the top scores during the Academic Decathlon and moved on to the next round.

There are also some notable signs in Dance Magic.When Rarity first told the Crystal Prep girls about her video concept, Lemon actually separated herself from the group. Lemon also showed a lot of energy.Heck, probably even more than Pinkie did. In almost all of her dance moves, particularly the ones in her original dance, Lemon was cartwheeling or jumping around. Also, while the other girls from Crystal Prep are portrayed as bullies to the Rainbooms, specifically to Rarity and Twilight, Lemon wasn't really. Of course she still sang Unleash the Magic and snickered, laughed, and smirked at Rarity, but she didn't directly say anything hurtful to any of them like the other girls did. Then there's the Shadowbolts' confession scene at the cafe. When Rarity showed up and began to tell them about her compromise, Lemon completely avoided making eye contact with her. This is something that a lot of autistic people do. They find it stressful and overwhelming. While this may not completely be the case for Lemon, we can assume that it might be by how uncomfortable she looked during that time.

Of course, Lemon was pretty social at the end when she and her friends teamed up with the Rainbooms for the music video, but of course, there are still all of the other reasons that I have mentioned before that could in fact mean that she has autism.

Edited March 24, 2018 by SunshineSmiles

[Ganondox 899]

The only character who I think autism is the best explanation for their behavior is Maud. In the main six, I’d say most likely to be on the spectrum Twillght, then Fluttershy (though more for her season one characterization than in following seasons), then Pinkie Pie (which when you consider her siblings suggests something runs in the family). Starlight Glimmer lacks a basic understanding of pony rights, which comes across a bit as somewhere between sociopathy and autism, but not really being either. 

[sweetolebob18 724]

I'd say Pinkie is Hypomanic (that's like the manic version of bipolar disorder but not as intense) + autophobia  (fear of being alone)

Twilight had OCD, although becoming an alicorn seems to have toned it down if not cured her.

Fluttershy, more Social Affective Disorder (What normal folks would call extremely shy, although she is getting better)

No, IMO Maud is the only one who might be autistic  

[Nature Tune 8,391]

Probably Maud. Vintyl? Not really. Twilight. Maybe. Discord. I think so, he doesn’t have such closeness with many. 

[Ganondox 899]

3 hours ago, sweetolebob18 said:

I'd say Pinkie is Hypomanic (that's like the manic version of bipolar disorder but not as intense) + autophobia  (fear of being alone)

Twilight had OCD, although becoming an alicorn seems to have toned it down if not cured her.

Fluttershy, more Social Affective Disorder (What normal folks would call extremely shy, although she is getting better)

No, IMO Maud is the only one who might be autistic  

All the sources I can find referring to Social Affective Disorder classify it as somehow being on the autism spectrum and not as an anxiety disorder, so you aren't exactly helping your case. I guessing you meant Social Anxiety Disorder based on your description, which is kinda obvious, but doesn't preclude other disorders. Really the only disorder that you're referring to that is recognized as distinct disorder by any popular standard is OCD, which Twilight probably does NOT have, she doesn't have any of the symptoms of obsessions or compulsions. Her symptoms match OC*P*D, which is very different as it's a personality disorder rather than an anxiety disorder, but it's close to what the internet notion of OCD is. I'd argue they all *might* be autistic, especially when you consider the fact presentations for autism spectrum disorders are diverse and the character's portrayals are fairly inconsistent (being characters and all, not real people), Maud is just the only clear case. The only other things I can think of with similar symptoms to Maud's presentation are intellectual disability and schizophrenia, both of which Maud obviously doesn't have. I highly doubt it was intentional at first, but I think the show staff picked up word on how it fit Maud later and then decided to intentionally play with the idea. 

[sweetolebob18 724]

Twilight used to have a checklist for making checklists

The last item on the list was "triple check the list for items missed when double checking the check list"

Like I said, she's toned it down considerably

[Lights Action 476]

Pinkie Pie might have ADHD, but I feel that'd be stereotyping her. Maybe she's just a little bouncy. Maud and MAYBE, just MAYBE Discord. Twilight is more OCD or whatever the hell Sheldon Cooper has.
Canonically it's considered to be because he isolated himself socially for thousands of years that he's so unsure about social cues, but Discord has several traits of one with mild Asperger's. In fact, I often compare his social behavior to mine when I was about 7-8; Just before I was officially diagnosed.
Maud is an Aspie, but a lot more strong case than Discords would be (you know; If he had it). 

[Conred 274]

Maud, her boyfriend and Discord

[AlbaTross 1,581]

Maud for sure.  I think Fluttershy is an aspie though.  She has the shyness, reclusiveness and special interest aspects down.  It's actually pretty common for people on the spectrum to love animals.  She's not so far on the spectrum that she can't have friends and live a relatively normal life, but I think she has all the main markings of an aspie.  Maud's a full-blown autie though IMHO.

[Total Lunar Eclipse 515]

Maybe Muffins, but we don't see much of her. 

I don't think any of the mane 6 have autism. I think Twilight and Fluttershy are both just introverts. Many introverts prefer books over people or prefer the company of animals. 

[Ganondox 899]

23 hours ago, sweetolebob18 said:

Twilight used to have a checklist for making checklists

The last item on the list was "triple check the list for items missed when double checking the check list"

Like I said, she's toned it down considerably

That's not OCD, at all. It's neither an obsession nor a compulsion. It's just a peculiar habit which only superficially resembles a compulsion when isolated from the context that defines compulsions (rituals done specifically to reduce irrational anxiety in an illogical manner). Such strange, highly structured habits are actually more in line with autism than they are with OCD as it fits criteria 2 in section B for autism, but nothing in OCD. It does fit for OC*P*D, but that's a completely different disorder from OCD despite the similar names. 

20 hours ago, Lights Action said:

Pinkie Pie might have ADHD, but I feel that'd be stereotyping her. Maybe she's just a little bouncy. Maud and MAYBE, just MAYBE Discord. Twilight is more OCD or whatever the hell Sheldon Cooper has.
Canonically it's considered to be because he isolated himself socially for thousands of years that he's so unsure about social cues, but Discord has several traits of one with mild Asperger's. In fact, I often compare his social behavior to mine when I was about 7-8; Just before I was officially diagnosed.
Maud is an Aspie, but a lot more strong case than Discords would be (you know; If he had it). 

Sheldon Cooper is obviously intended to be on the autism spectrum, the makers just deny it in order to avoid causing offense as it's an extremely stereotypical and not particularly flattering depiction of autism. I occasionally see people throw OCD around as well, but I haven't seen enough of that show to give an opinion on whether I think that's accurate or it's just another case of the internet throwing the term around with no idea what it means. 

I think Discord is more of a sociopath than autistic, just a sociopath who has next to no social skills due to the fact he could just use magic to manipulate ponies instead of having to do it the hard way like most sociopaths. Pretty much the only way to teach Discord about friendship is to get it to hurt him as he has absolutely no empathetic concern for anyone else, even though he has a fondness for certain ponies like Fluttershy. 

2 hours ago, Total Lunar Eclipse said:

Maybe Muffins, but we don't see much of her. 

I don't think any of the mane 6 have autism. I think Twilight and Fluttershy are both just introverts. Many introverts prefer books over people or prefer the company of animals. 

It's interesting because I read a theory once (you can find it on everyone's favorite pop psychology blog Psychology Today, but I'm not sure if that's where I originally came across it) that rather being the opposite of extroversion, introversion is the mildest end of the autism spectrum. Obviously that's a bit of oversimplification, but I like the idea because I like focusing on the similarities between people rather than drawing lines at pathologies. 

Edited March 29, 2018 by Ganondox

[sweetolebob18 724]

Kid, I'm in my 60s. In my day, they didn't use alphabet soup to describe you. Ordinary folks left that stuff for psychiatrists. Ordinary folks stuck to the basics, mostly "freak" or "weirdo".

Going by those standards

Twilight = geek or nerd

Rarity = diva or drama queen (she's also toned it WAY down. ICR the last time she used her fainting couch)

Dash = braggart or blow hard

Maud & Pinkie would be the only weirdos 

[Ganondox 899]

7 hours ago, sweetolebob18 said:

Kid, I'm in my 60s. In my day, they didn't use alphabet soup to describe you. Ordinary folks left that stuff for psychiatrists. Ordinary folks stuck to the basics, mostly "freak" or "weirdo".

Going by those standards

Twilight = geek or nerd

Rarity = diva or drama queen (she's also toned it WAY down. ICR the last time she used her fainting couch)

Dash = braggart or blow hard

Maud & Pinkie would be the only weirdos 

You think I care how old you are? The psychiatric community has changed a lot sense then. While I’m no psychiatrist, I’ve at least studied the current version of things at university. And how does labeling people as freaks in anyway contribute to the conversation?

[Ganondox 899]

Just saw the new episode. Mud Briar is 100% an autism stereotype, albeit not a terribly inaccurate one. I know people like that, though they tend to get slightly better social skills by the time they are adults. 

[Toastypk 920]

2 hours ago, Ganondox said:

Just saw the new episode. Mud Briar is 100% an autism stereotype, albeit not a terribly inaccurate one. I know people like that, though they tend to get slightly better social skills by the time they are adults. 

I totally thought that too, the various tones and lines and aspects.

[sweetolebob18 724]

Of course there really are people w autism, ADD, & all that other stuff, but IMO it is WAY over diagnosed.

 

[Ganondox 899]

15 hours ago, sweetolebob18 said:

Of course there really are people w autism, ADD, & all that other stuff, but IMO it is WAY over diagnosed.

 

Most experts think it's actually underdiagnosed, especially in girls and people of color. If you compare autism diagnosis rates to most mental disorders, it's actually quite rare, with only about 1% of the population as opposed to around 10% for some arguably more severe personality disorders. Sure, if you have a super-conservative definition of autism where it requires a very specific presentation with profound disability across various aspects, you'll find it over diagnosed, but that's not the model the system is operating under. It's looking for people with common traits who could be significantly benefited by receiving a diagnosis. While people do sometimes get misdiagnosed, mainly the system is just much more supportive now than it was in the past. If you take those traits to the broadest extent, past the point where it's a diagnosable disability, then they are actually quite common, IIRC about a fourth of the population falls under the broader autism phenotype. When it comes to fictional characters, I think worker under the broader model rather than the pathological makes more sense, as for one the support systems are different there and fictional dynamics aren't quite like real society, but more importantly the purpose of characters is not to be arbitrarily labeled, but for the audience to be able to empathize with them. 

[TheGreatEater 0]

On 3/31/2018 at 8:29 PM, Ganondox said:

Just saw the new episode. Mud Briar is 100% an autism stereotype, albeit not a terribly inaccurate one. I know people like that, though they tend to get slightly better social skills by the time they are adults. 

 

On 3/31/2018 at 11:16 PM, Toastypk said:

I totally thought that too, the various tones and lines and aspects.

 

Honestly as a person with Asperger's, and suffering with Autism, I find the Flanderization, and portrayal of Autism in Mudbriar to be horribly offensive. He's literally the only character I've ever watched in a show to make me self conscious, and embarrassed over my condition. I had problems commenting on fics in fimfic, or posting online for weeks because of him. 

Not to mention the fact that he, like with Flash, have all the hallmarks of crap writing, the worst of shipping writing (in the fact that an OC (which he technically classifies as) randomly appears with no build up, and becomes the special somepony of a canon pony. Out of  no where), and shows that the shows writers have absolutely no idea how ships work (and no, I don't ship Maud.)

But Mudbriar isn't an accurate portrayal of Autism. He's a Flanderization on sterotypes, and Hollywood Mental Disorder. Honestly he's one of the few characters that I actively hate with a vengeance. Not only due to horrible writing on both shipping and how he was portrayed, but honestly everything about him I hate with a passion. But honestly would have hated less if he wasn't tied to any character, just a normal pony thrown in there and would never have a part in the show ever again. 

I really wonder just what in the hell the writers were thinking. There was literally no reason to have him exist. And the whole "moral" of "just because you don't like someone, as long as they make your friend/family member happy you should be happy for them." Could have been done with "just a friend", or even at the very least an acquaintance. And one not made by shitting on people with Autism, overly Flanderizing all of Maud's negative aspects, and making a mockery of people who actually suffer with mental disorders that they are overly using tropes of.