Does Maud Pie have Aspergers?

[Coco before Pommel 678]

As a person with Asperger's Syndrome, I'm not sure what bothers me more - the trend for diagnosing fictional characters on the flimsiest of reasons, or people acting like the condition is a "mental disorder/problem" or some sort of insult to the character. Yes, it's not easy to live with and it can/does cause many problems for me and others, but it's not a "problem" that can be "fixed" in some way - some people's brains work differently, and we have to learn to live with however that affects us, but many people with AS live perfectly happy, "normal" lives (whatever that means) and it's hugely insulting to say there's something "wrong" with them.

 

I think my main issue with characters getting diagnosed with AS (or other RL conditions, including those that legitimately are mental disorders, but I'm focusing on the one discussed here I actually have experience of) is that it always tends to focus on a very narrow, stereotypical set of traits - that are often, in the source material, portrayed as comic relief or a joke - that people associate with AS. Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory* is a good example - he's basically, as far as I can tell, just an insensitive asshole. When fans try to explain his behaviour by saying he's "obviously" got AS because he fits some very stereotypical criteria about what people with AS act like...it does make me uncomfortable, because it only reinforces the stereotypes (that are mostly negative and/or played for laughs), and can give the impression that people use it as an excuse for general dickish behaviour (this seems to happen online a lot). It isn't and shouldn't be an excuse for bad behaviour, and the problem is that then it gets made into an insult - I was on a chat the other day where "sperg" was being casually tossed around as an insult, and I didn't say anything but it made me feel horrible - and a bad thing, because of this false idea of what ALL people with AS are like, that people need to "defend" their favourite character from. For people like me who have to live with this thing that we know makes us different, that's not a nice thing to hear at all. It's not an insult, but nor is it something that can be reduced to a checklist of criteria to say "this shows us that character x OBVIOUSLY has AS, there is no other explanation for their behaviour". It's a complex, and sensitive for many people (myself included, lol can you tell), issue and framing it in such black-and-white terms does a huge disservice to all the RL people out there who are living with AS (either themselves or family, friends etc).

 

I don't personally see Maud (or Twilight or Fluttershy) as having AS - I also don't think she really seems "antisocial", just, as she said, expresses herself differently - maybe a bit more introverted, sure, but that's not at all the same. Also, "antisocial" is definitely not synonymous with AS or autism, and neither is being obsessed with rocks or whatever. I don't really apply RL psychology to ponies, for many reasons it just doesn't seem appropriate or appeal to me. She's just Maud, like Pinkie is just Pinkie and Fluttershy is just Fluttershy (and I love all of them, if that wasn't clear, and think they're awesome, well-written, relatable characters). But if people enjoy reading or headcanoning her character that way - as long as they're not insisting that it's canon and the ONLY true interpretation, or that that is what all autistic people act like - then that's cool, I'm not going to ruin their fun just because I happen to disagree. Maud is fictional and she can't get hurt by people misunderstanding her - but RL people can, and I can't blame people with AS for wanting to see characters like themselves as more than a one-note joke or stereotype, after all.

 

...phew, sorry, I think that rant had been building for a long time. but yeah, hopefully it somewhat made sense and didn't offend anyone. Coco out~

 

 

*admittedly I haven't seen much of TBBT so someone feel free to correct me if I'm completely wrong, but it's an example I see used a lot re characters who could have AS.

[Fluttershutter 2,353]

You know what word I'm even more sick of hearing than "autism"?

 

*NONE!!!!!* Somebody please make it die already!!!!!

 

 

[Foliha 395]

Asperger's is a possibility for Maud, but as so many have said, who cares?  The "disorder" is characterized by so many symptoms that you could, and can, find a few or a lot in just about anybody. 

 

My shrink once told me that Asperger's is often a label that's slapped on anyone who shows a few characteristics that could be ascribed to Asperger's.  In other words, as often as not it's what shrinks - espescially pediatric shrinks - tack on someone whose behavior they don't have a name for. 

 

We are all of us on a bell-curve as far as how each of the different aspects of our personality and cognition goes.  It's become a really irritating social trend to stick labels on people who are not at top dead center of the bell-curve for various kinds of behavior.  Look at Temple Grandin.  Is she mentally ill?  Depends on how you define it.  But she is a high-function, contributor to improving animal welfare and many other things.  If Temple Grandin is sick, please doG make me sick too!

 

Maud is Maud.  Compared to Pinkie she's flat affect - but so what.  Compared to Pinkie nearly everybody is.  Does her mind-set cause problems for her?  Probably - whose doesn't?

 

Maud is an appealing character in a larger cast of appealing characters.  One of the things that makes the cast of this show so good is that they are 3-dimentional.  They have attractive characteristics, quirky characteristics and faults.  While it might be said that Twilight Sparkle is a bit OCD, Futtershy is pathologically shy, Rainbow Dash is an ego-maniac, Rarity is solipsistic and volatile, and Pinkie Pie is incredibly labile, it's not the whole picture for any of these characters.  As it does with similar people in real life, it simply gives them scope for interesting interaction.  Is Applejack a workaholic?  Yeah, sometimes.  So what?

 

I think Maud is one of the more interesting of the sattelite characters.  I hope we see more of her. 

Edited January 29, 2015 by Foliha

[Prismatica 37]

Not sure. Everybody with Aspergers is not the same. For example, a common assumption about Aspies is that they're oblivious to social cues and/or embarrassment. Being one myself, it's the complete opposite; I tend to dwell too much on embarrassing things that I did years ago. Because of this, i developed a fear of being socially humiliated. If you've met one person with Aspergers, then you've met one person with Aspergers. Just my two bits on the matter

As a person with Asperger's Syndrome, I'm not sure what bothers me more - the trend for diagnosing fictional characters on the flimsiest of reasons, or people acting like the condition is a "mental disorder/problem" or some sort of insult to the character. Yes, it's not easy to live with and it can/does cause many problems for me and others, but it's not a "problem" that can be "fixed" in some way - some people's brains work differently, and we have to learn to live with however that affects us, but many people with AS live perfectly happy, "normal" lives (whatever that means) and it's hugely insulting to say there's something "wrong" with them.

I think my main issue with characters getting diagnosed with AS (or other RL conditions, including those that legitimately are mental disorders, but I'm focusing on the one discussed here I actually have experience of) is that it always tends to focus on a very narrow, stereotypical set of traits - that are often, in the source material, portrayed as comic relief or a joke - that people associate with AS. Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory* is a good example - he's basically, as far as I can tell, just an insensitive asshole. When fans try to explain his behaviour by saying he's "obviously" got AS because he fits some very stereotypical criteria about what people with AS act like...it does make me uncomfortable, because it only reinforces the stereotypes (that are mostly negative and/or played for laughs), and can give the impression that people use it as an excuse for general dickish behaviour (this seems to happen online a lot). It isn't and shouldn't be an excuse for bad behaviour, and the problem is that then it gets made into an insult - I was on a chat the other day where "sperg" was being casually tossed around as an insult, and I didn't say anything but it made me feel horrible - and a bad thing, because of this false idea of what ALL people with AS are like, that people need to "defend" their favourite character from. For people like me who have to live with this thing that we know makes us different, that's not a nice thing to hear at all. It's not an insult, but nor is it something that can be reduced to a checklist of criteria to say "this shows us that character x OBVIOUSLY has AS, there is no other explanation for their behaviour". It's a complex, and sensitive for many people (myself included, lol can you tell), issue and framing it in such black-and-white terms does a huge disservice to all the RL people out there who are living with AS (either themselves or family, friends etc).

I don't personally see Maud (or Twilight or Fluttershy) as having AS - I also don't think she really seems "antisocial", just, as she said, expresses herself differently - maybe a bit more introverted, sure, but that's not at all the same. Also, "antisocial" is definitely not synonymous with AS or autism, and neither is being obsessed with rocks or whatever. I don't really apply RL psychology to ponies, for many reasons it just doesn't seem appropriate or appeal to me. She's just Maud, like Pinkie is just Pinkie and Fluttershy is just Fluttershy (and I love all of them, if that wasn't clear, and think they're awesome, well-written, relatable characters). But if people enjoy reading or headcanoning her character that way - as long as they're not insisting that it's canon and the ONLY true interpretation, or that that is what all autistic people act like - then that's cool, I'm not going to ruin their fun just because I happen to disagree. Maud is fictional and she can't get hurt by people misunderstanding her - but RL people can, and I can't blame people with AS for wanting to see characters like themselves as more than a one-note joke or stereotype, after all.

...phew, sorry, I think that rant had been building for a long time. but yeah, hopefully it somewhat made sense and didn't offend anyone. Coco out~

*admittedly I haven't seen much of TBBT so someone feel free to correct me if I'm completely wrong, but it's an example I see used a lot re characters who could have AS.

I agree with you 100% about fictional portrayal of Aspies. In 4th Grade, our teacher read us The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime. The protagonist was the most ableist, stereotyped, and flat representation of Aspergers I have EVER SEEN -_- It offended me to no end. The author even admitted he hadn't researched it at all, but he excused himself because he said the book "wasn't about Aspergers".

And like you said, Sheldon isn't confirmed to be an Aspie, but fans keep insisting he is -_-

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

Not sure. Everybody with Aspergers is not the same. For example, a common assumption about Aspies is that they're oblivious to social cues and/or embarrassment. Being one myself, it's the complete opposite; I tend to dwell too much on embarrassing things that I did years ago. Because of this, i developed a fear of being socially humiliated. If you've met one person with Aspergers, then you've met one person with Aspergers. Just my two bits on the matter

That's a popular saying on the ASD site I frequent, and I've found it to be very true. Symptoms and their extent are never the same between two people, because no two minds are affected the same way by the condition. For my part the thing about social cues is very true; I'm not good at recognizing body language and I don't know when I'm "supposed" to speak in a conversation. Clear communication in person is almost impossible. On the other hand I can remember every embarrassing thing that's happened to me. I can't make anyone understand what's going on in my head, and why do they have to know anyway? They just see what I want them to see.

 

Perhaps Maud is that way, too--not ASD or afraid of others' reactions, but just very reserved and inhibited. We knew Pinkie's whole family (minus Pinkie) was kind of that way because she told us in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. When you grow up with it, it seems natural, so you follow the same pattern. That's way more likely than all the Pies having some form of Asperger's.    The major difference between them and Pinkie Pie is that she was unhappy being that way, so she changed--or maybe just allowed her true colors (mostly pink) to shine through.

 

But Maud does not seem unhappy, so why judge her or give her a label from our world? The other ponies don't. That goes back to what I said in my first post. The Mane 6 admitted they didn't understand her (Rainbow, despite being the least tactful, was also the most open about that fact); on the contrary, they recognized that Maud is not the kind of pony you become friends with in a few days, much less "best friends forever." Pinkie just got her hopes up too much. 

[Shanks 10,816]

That's a popular saying on the ASD site I frequent, and I've found it to be very true. Symptoms and their extent are never the same between two people, because no two minds are affected the same way by the condition.

It is often not the same even in the same person at different points in their lives, most people can't tell I have Autism today but it was a very different story in the past. In my early childhood years I had severe sensory issues, had language delays and would throw tantrums at the slightest provocation. In my teen years I was highly intelligent but had extreme difficultly interpreting social cues and was often frustrated and confused at all the various unwritten social rules and in many cases went out of my way to rebel against them. I was also highly emotionally unstable and would often use intimidation and violence which is something I am not proud of but did overcome. I still have some challenges, I still occasionally get sensory overload and can sometimes miss certain social cues even though I seem to get most of them but have come a long way.

 

 

 

Perhaps Maud is that way, too--not ASD or afraid of others' reactions, but just very reserved and inhibited. We knew Pinkie's whole family (minus Pinkie) was kind of that way because she told us in The Cutie Mark Chronicles.

There are certain moments where I don't say much or even anything at all not because I am afraid of how anyone will react but because I just don't feel like it is necessary for me to say anything at that particular moment and this is coming from a guy can be quite opinionated and outspoken at times so it is entirely believable that it could be the same for Maud. Those are signs of introversion though is the case for many on the Autism spectrum is certainly not unique to them or others with neurological differences.

[Dolphanatic 298]

It's an interesting theory, but there's not nearly enough evidence for it to be convincing. Also, what about Twilight? She's also shown a lot of possible ASD symptoms, but yet everyone jumps to the conclusion that she has OCD (often exaggerated to absurd degrees), despite her being antisocial, having trouble communicating (remember her first interactions with the rest of the Mane 6 in the series premiere?), being somewhat obsessed over her hobbies (spellbooks, history, potion recipes, astronomy, etc.) to the point where it causes social awkwardness, and easily stresses herself out over deadlines (basically every time she's had any sort of test). In fact, to be honest, I think Twilight is more likely to have Asperger's than Maud is. I'm not claiming anypony has ASD, but if you're going to make such a big deal out of such a small amount of evidence from one episode, you might want to consider doing more research. This is coming from someone who has been diagnosed Asperger's. You can probably understand why I can relate to Twilight so much.

[Ganondox 899]

It's not that Aspergers is bad. It's the fact that you are assuming the person has so and so psychological disorder without any concrete evidence. "Oh she doesn't express herself normally, she could have Aspergers!" No, that's not necessarily the case. And again it's not that we don't want her to have it, its just flawed logic to assume something like that. I have difficulty expressing myself at times, I can be quiet, I'm shy, but I don't have any disorder. I'm introverted which is a common personality trait.

 

If you are going to assume anything, it safe to assume and more likely that she is more on the introverted side of the personality spectrum. There is also a chance she isn't though. I can't really tell with her.

 

Lastly, only a Doctor, or in this case The Writer, are allowed to say whether so and so has a disorder. People shouldn't assume one has something just because of a certain little quirk they have. 

 

I don't think you really know anything about autism, because there is more "evidence" than her being introverted or whatnot. She has flat effect, she's completely obsessed with rocks ect. Those aren't traits of introversion, they are autistic traits, though of course just having a couple autistic traits doesn't automatically make one autistic. 

It's an interesting theory, but there's not nearly enough evidence for it to be convincing. Also, what about Twilight? She's also shown a lot of possible ASD symptoms, but yet everyone jumps to the conclusion that she has OCD (often exaggerated to absurd degrees), despite her being antisocial, having trouble communicating (remember her first interactions with the rest of the Mane 6 in the series premiere?), being somewhat obsessed over her hobbies (spellbooks, history, potion recipes, astronomy, etc.) to the point where it causes social awkwardness, and easily stresses herself out over deadlines (basically every time she's had any sort of test). In fact, to be honest, I think Twilight is more likely to have Asperger's than Maud is. I'm not claiming anypony has ASD, but if you're going to make such a big deal out of such a small amount of evidence from one episode, you might want to consider doing more research. This is coming from someone who has been diagnosed Asperger's. You can probably understand why I can relate to Twilight so much.

 

The reason is because no one knows what OCD even is, or Aspergers for that matter. What people don't realize is that many of the traits they associate with OCD are actually more characteristic to autism. I'd say Twilight is equally likely to have OCPD (which is closer to the internet notion of OCD) as Aspergers, but more likely to have Aspergers than OCD. It's not like it's an either or thing though, OCD is often comorbid to autism. 

Edited March 18, 2015 by Ganondox

[twilight24 321]

Hmmm I'm not too sure how too feel about this subject. Bing autistic or having aspergers myself I often wish there was more characters and shows centered around a autistic character in a real and positive way. I'll use what I saw of Parenthood as an example. There son Max was showing obvious stereotyped behavior typical of your psychologist handbook. When given the diagnose, his parents don't tell him about it and the show exaggerates how "bad" Aspergers and autism is. He meets a kid with the same condinotion and hi goofy parents let the child be out of control. Personally I want to give parenthood another chance, its just how they handled a sensitive topic that puts me off.

 

Back to mlp. Maybe she is, maybe not . I would personally think its cool if the writers hinted that Twilight is autistic. Gives us Aspies a positive fictional character. That's my piece.

 

P.s.

 

A lot of people with autism seem to gravitate towards mystical and magical things such ad mlp and Pokemon. It's interesting.

[Ganondox 899]

This really needs to stop. 

 

Just because a character has a personality or traits we find disagreeable, doesn't mean that they have some disorder or problem that requires fixing.

 

Maud is perfect the way she is and I stand rock solid in defending her for who she is.   Go back and watch Maud Pie and perhaps you'll understand what the episode was actually about if you haven't already. Then we wouldn't need this discussion.

 

Actually we do need this discussion because you made it clear think autistic people need to be fixed and you can't be friends with them. Yeah, you said "And even if they do, who cares? We shouldn't pity and feel bad for people, not for the wrong reasons. They are still able to function sociably and live normal lives just as anyone else could. Among the physically handicapped and even mentally handicapped (those that can live normal lives), they don't want to be pitied and their disability often doesn't bother them or those they live with.", but literally everything else you said goes against that message, even the aside in parentheses shows signs of that. I think the thing you aren't getting is that people aren't saying Maud is autistic because they dislike her, rather, it's because they like her, and because they love someone with autism or are autistic themselves, they are trying to make the connection. 

 

And yes, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy also show signs of autism.

Ehm no.. :/

That's just silly, sorry. Why would someone who has autism/aspergers be emotionless? People with autism/aspergers are not emotionless at all. Maybe they find it hard to express their emotions, but they're not emotionless.......

 

Well Maud isn't emotionless, so I don't see what your point is. 

 

_____________________________________________________________

As for my opinion on whether or not she is autistic, I'll say this: If a real person was as obsessed with rocks as Maud, literally the only explanation I have for it is being on the autism spectrum. She isn't just interested in rocks, it's all consuming. Not all autistic people are as obsessed with their interest as Maud is, but some autistic people actually are as absorbed as Maud is. I guess someone with severe mental retardation or psychosis might also have extremely restricted interests or behaviors, but Maud clearly isn't retarded or psychotic, she just has an all consuming interest in rocks. When most people think of autism, they only think of the social aspects, but the Class B elements are just as important. I think most people are quick to jump to autism for Maud because she's asocial, but in terms of social behavior Pinkie Pie actually displays more autistic traits than Maud does. Her being monotone, blunt and literal compliment the idea of autism, but it's her obsession which is the deal breaker. If you can think of something else which can realistically drive someone to write literally thousands of poems about rocks, and nothing but rocks, please tell me. Other characters like Twilight and Fluttershy also display some autistic traits, but Maud Pie is the only character in the show where it clearly points to autism as opposed to like fifty other possible explanations.

 

That being said, it's clear she wasn't actually intended to be autistic, but just to be the foil to Pinkie. While realistically neurotypical people wouldn't be so obsessed with rocks, it's common for cartoon characters to do that simply because they're flat and exaggerated. She isn't monotone because she's meant be autistic, but because she's meant to be like a rock. Aside from being flat and all, Maud isn't really the ideal autistic character because the angle the episode went at would make it seem like it's impossible to really be close friends with an autistic person unless you're family, and you can only admire them as person rather than forming a personal relationship, so it's really better just to think of her as being Maud rather than the token aspie.

 

While it wouldn't do much to alleviate stereotypes, I think that if it would be advantageous to declare any character as being autistic it would be Twilight Sparkle, as it compliments the overall plot arc of the series, and she would work well as positive, realistic role model, which is extremely rare for autistic characters in fiction and there really ought to be some more. Alas, our society hasn't reached the point yet where it realizes disabled people are actual people in the audience rather than just outsiders who "normal" children need to be taught about. The fact they even did "Flight to the Finish" is rather progressive, and mental disability is seen as another step removed from physical disability in terms of acceptance. As it stands, Twilight is at most ambiguously autistic, and other explanations come to me before aspergers for her, like OCPD or it just being her upbringing. 

Edited March 18, 2015 by Ganondox

[sweetolebob18 726]

There is a fanfic called Unwell by HazamaBrony.  Twilight has ACMS (Abstract Cutie Mark Syndrome = Pony Asperger's) Much of the story is about how her friends take it when she tells them.  There is a sequel planned, but AFAIK not yet written.

[----- 477]

[Warning: Season 7 Episode 4 Spoiler!]

Maud: "Another reason I like rocks: They don't exclude you if you're...different than other ponies." 

Starlight: "She sees the world in a totally different way than anypony I've ever met." 

 

Autism is one of the topics I am most interested in for more than a year now, and I personally would agree that Maud has probably Asperger's or some other kind of autism. Her behavoir, as well as her interests are just so fitting (if very stereotypical).

Since my english is pretty bad, I'll just show you a video to make it clearer what it mean:

Minute 10:35 - 14:30:

 

Edited April 29, 2017 by Aya. K.

[immblueversion 331]

4 hours ago, Aya. K. said:

[Warning: Season 7 Episode 4 Spoiler!]

Maud: "Another reason I like rocks: They don't exclude you if you're...different than other ponies." 

Starlight: "She sees the world in a totally different way than anypony I've ever met." 

 

Autism is one of the topics I am most interested in for more than a year now, and I personally would agree that Maud has probably Asperger's or some other kind of autism. Her behavoir, as well as her interests are just so fitting (if very stereotypical).

Since my english is pretty bad, I'll just show you a video to make it clearer what it mean:

Minute 10:35 - 14:30:

 

Today's episode brought me here as well. I had no trouble seeing Maud as having Asperger's when she first appeared, but with those two lines, I don't think I can see her as anything but. One of the myths about autism that all autistic people seclude themselves from others because they all hate talking with people. Quite the opposite, in fact; a good number of Aspies crave social interaction, myself included, but find it a daunting hurdle to overcome. With kids shows like Sesame Street actively tackling these myths, I wouldn't be surprised if other shows like MLP are encouraged to follow this example.

[NullAccount 287]

You know, I've never really thought about that. She certainly does show a lot of symptoms of Asperger's. And I suppose in the episode Rock Solid Friendship, she does mention most ponies excluding her because she's different. However, I doubt that she does, and if so it is probably very low functioning. Firstly, she shows no signs of being uncomfortable in social settings, just a bit awkward. Second, she doesn't seem to be bothered by change all that much. She is probably just different in her own way. 

[immblueversion 331]

22 hours ago, FlutterFly761 said:

You know, I've never really thought about that. She certainly does show a lot of symptoms of Asperger's. And I suppose in the episode Rock Solid Friendship, she does mention most ponies excluding her because she's different. However, I doubt that she does, and if so it is probably very low functioning. Firstly, she shows no signs of being uncomfortable in social settings, just a bit awkward. Second, she doesn't seem to be bothered by change all that much. She is probably just different in her own way. 

You mean high-functioning. And there's this important saying that was used at least once in this very forum: when you've met one person with Asperger's, you've met one person with Asperger's. I myself was diagnosed with Asperger's, so I'll speak on my own behalf: being around unfamiliar people is disconcerting to me, but I'm willing to adapt to changes in routine. So if Maud is autistic, then her social awkwardness, literal thought process, difficulty with facial expression, hyper-fixation on rocks, yet openness to new situations (not to mention an insofar lack of emotional meltdowns) is what autism would be for Maud.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Zeek

[Ganondox 899]

Okay, with the new episode I change my position, I think she actually was written to be autistic, at least retrospectively and in this episode. First, the writers have clarified autism is in fact on their radar, and they've discussed doing an episode on the subject, and this episode fits in the correct time frame from that interview. Second, there just seems to be too many cliches in autistic literature expressed in this episode for it to not be the case. 

[immblueversion 331]

On 5/3/2017 at 4:31 AM, Ganondox said:

Okay, with the new episode I change my position, I think she actually was written to be autistic, at least retrospectively and in this episode. First, the writers have clarified autism is in fact on their radar, and they've discussed doing an episode on the subject, and this episode fits in the correct time frame from that interview. Second, there just seems to be too many cliches in autistic literature expressed in this episode for it to not be the case. 

This is the first I've heard of that. It's incredible to know the characters may have actually intended this, if only retroactively. Do you have a link?

[cmarston1 5,958]

I don't necessarily feel comfortable around the trend of people (some of which don't have the full understanding of the disorder) diagnosing fictional characters with real world disorders like autism and things like that.

Maybe she could have it, maybe she doesn't, but I don't think this is what the writers were intending with her character.

[Ganondox 899]

12 hours ago, Zeek said:

This is the first I've heard of that. It's incredible to know the characters may have actually intended this, if only retroactively. Do you have a link?

Yeah, here it is: https://www.equestriadaily.com/2015/07/sdcc-pony-panel-major-news-points.html

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

I myself hate when show or movies put autistic characters in movies. Autism is not something that need to be addressed any more than something like ADHD.

[Jeric 46,848]

Holy shit this thread brought back memories. For me it's like Batman walking into Arkham ... o_o

 

I ignored this topic when I first joined (it predates me by a month). I am reluctant to ever suggest characters have specific DSM conditions for a number of reasons, but I am generally fine with people using fictional characters as a conduit to relatability and interpreting them as having (in this case) characterization, traits, and tendencies of someone with Asperger's. 

In her recent appearance, she absolutely showed some curious similarities. In some cases I will debate someone's interpretation, but I can't do so with Maud. If someone sees her as being autistic, I can't fault their conclusion. 

Now I shall back away before the ghosts of my rogues gallery come after me for revenge. 

 

[pinkpuff1 0]

I'd be a weird relieve if she did cuz I see myself exactly like her :( and I never even heard of asper

[Lunalover 7]

I can personally say that she does have aspergers to some degree (I can attest to that since I am affected myself). She has a mostly emotionless face; that is a big part. I get expressive sometimes, but I mostly have an emotionless default (you could say I look like Data (Star Trek TNG), Lurch (Addams Family) or Edward (Edward Scissorhands). 

There are some other things to which Maud has that hint that she is affected with this mild form of Autism. Her intense interest and remarkable head for geology is very similar to other people that are on the spectrum. I just so happen to have a life long love of trains and railroads (I now also like other types of transportation too). A friend of mine at school, who also is affected, has an obsession with video game systems, computers, and fictional universes. There are many others.

Finally on a more serious note. People on the spectrum appear to act or be more mature, calm, or reserved than most neuotypical people around them. Maud is like this a lot in the series (while most of the characters are over the top as well as hyper, Maud is a calmer and more reserved type). I am like this too, while most people at the school that I go to are what you'd expect high school teenagers to act like, I and a few other people like me act more like soldiers, businessmen, or adults. 

In conclusion I can safely say that Maud is very much a person (or pony, depending on which version you like more) that is affected by aspergers syndrome. This is not coming from an outsider, I too am a person that is affected by aspergers. This analysis is 100% accurate as far as my experience has given me knowledge.