#love the autism representation with him

[scarefox]

[autistically-zoinked]

Real talk though, do you think Assad is aware that he is giving us one of the best autistic characters of all time?

[saturnniidae]

Thinking about the themes of disability in httyd that are present even before Hiccup becomes an amputee; existing in a world that hates and doesn't welcome you but refusing to change yourself for the convenience of others, instead stubbornly making accommodations for yourself where you can

[gremlin-pattie]

House m.d. is better autistic representation than The Good Doctor could ever hope to be

[soullessjack]

something i was thinking about at work is jacks insecurity about being a burden to the Winchesters + Cas and how much that fits into the autistic lens of his character. obviously it starts with the fact that Sam and Dean were essentially forced into taking care of him at first because of the circumstances surrounding. Literally everything. but it goes beyond that all the way to jack just being what he is and that being inherently dangerous.

for one thing, the bunker (Jack’s only beloved home ever)

initially, the only reason sam and dean agreed to take Jack back to the bunker at all was to safeguard the public from his then-uncontrolled powers, and in last holiday mrs butters also suggests that they’re only keeping him there so he can’t destroy anyone else like he did mary (which jack doesn’t even fight against so.. maybe he’s fine with it being that way?)

then when you come to jacks powers themselves:

they are fundamentally [part of] what makes him different. they’re part of what makes jack dangerous. he can’t have public meltdowns or show extreme anger (or even any frustration, really) without there being consequences — the consequences of someone else getting hurt-or-worse by him, and him being perceived more negatively & fearfully each time it happens. those consequences are just added to the burden jack feels he brings to his family, which breeds guilt and frustration in jack for how he feels he’s affecting them and disappointing their expectations.

this in turn is why jack is so abrasive whenever the guys try to comfort or reassure him. it’s rejection sensitive dysphoria with a little more C4 to it, basically. and speaking from my own experiences, when you’re constantly in a state of low self image or rejection sensitivity, it creates a cycle of eggshell walking and people pleasing—putting all of your focus and energy into managing the feelings of others because you assume the slightest slip-up will make them upset or disappointed or even hate you.

you react to the idea of being rejected before it even happens, and even if it doesn’t happen, because at the core of it all you already perceive yourself in a rejective way.

and that’s exactly what happened between jack and mary after he tortured Nick.

after he’s done, jack turns to mary, ‘flushed with pride’ and grinning about what he did. it was cathartic and sickeningly enjoyable to do. but when he sees the horror on her face as she just says “what did you do?” his pride ‘curdles to shame.’ he’s already sensing rejection for what he’s done, and tries to justify it to mary, and somewhat console her; Nick was a killer who deserved it, and Sam and Dean would’ve been grateful for his death. if Mary thinks something is wrong with him for what he did then she’s the one who’s wrong, actually.

mary (honestly god bless her for still being sympathetic & patient with jack after that) just gently tries to tell him: “something’s wrong. it’s not your fault. you just need help and we’ll help you because you’re family and we love you,” but all jack hears is “something is wrong with you and it scares me. YOU scare me. I’m going to tell the others that something is wrong with you and they’ll be scared of you, too.” **

I don’t think i need to explain in-depth how jack loves his family a very normal and healthy amount, but suffice it to say that he’s established to have a deep fear of, and inability/unwillingness to accept, losing them. he can’t think about it because he hates thinking about it. he’d do anything for them (like self sacrifice or slowly burning a man alive) and to be with them again (like necromancy and unleashing biblical plagues upon nonbelievers).

so when jack perceives that the Winchesters would reject/hate/fear him because of what he did to nick—because there’s something wrong with him—he starts spiraling right there, and he can’t accept that Mary still loves him and wants to help him; he doesn’t even think he can be helped. he can’t deal with any of the rejections he’s perceiving and just wants to be left alone…..

I was going to try and reroute this post back to the whole burden thing, but it’s 3am and I’m losing my train of thought. TLDR i just think it’s very autistic for jacks nature to be narratively framed as both a burden and a threat and also something that just wants to be loved for what it is even though it knows it’s difficult ……. yeagj

**additionally i think he does the same when Rowena refuses to help but I’m getting too sleepy to write that in

Goodnight everypony (<__>)

[risenajax]

asa really solved the aquarium arc by realizing the war devil's powers are a matter of her perception and whether she thinks she owns something, and then immediately thought denji must not like her because she couldn't turn him into a weapon. she's truly the peak of cringefail

[everythingwasnormalhere]

actually I've been thinking about it and kenny is so disability-coded???

like, even without my chronic pain headcanon, if we only take the canon material, he's incredibly disability-coded and im not sure why nobody's mentioned it before

Ok so, first thing first, south park isn't exactly known out of its community for having the best rep of... anything, actually, but anyone who's watched the show knows it has some of the best disability representation of any piece of media. Jimmy and Timmy, neither of their characters revolve around being disabled - they don't even make much fun of it! (It's south park, they have to make fun of everything). Their characters are complex, not because they're disabled, but because the writers didn't want to make them revolve around that. And if you don't believe me, please just watch the fucking show or at least their episodes (this is however not about them so I won't say much more about them, there's some pretty cool posts on this site that talk about this in more detail if you wanna read more though)

Now, onto Kenny: Kenny is a pretty cool guy. Fandom favorite, well-known even by people who don't watch south park. And besides how he's incredibly cute (like, c'mon, you heard his little "woohoo!"?), the reason why he's so famous is simple: He dies in every episode.

(well, not every ep in the latest seasons, but at the beginning he did and that's enough for me)

You might be thinking, "hey Loki, that's cool, but I have no fucking idea where this is going". And I'll tell you: his constant deaths actively avoid him doing stuff. Dying makes him spend less time with his friends, he can't take part in their shenanigans, he's generally unable to do things due to dying 24/7. Like, hell, he spent a whole season not hanging out with the guys because he was too dead for that! His friends substituted him, and he's still less-there since that happened.

This means: the impairment 'has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'

(because he can't carry out normal day-to-day activities when he's, you know, fucking deceased)

Also, as Kenny himself says, "'Pretty cool'? Do you know how it feels like to be stabbed, to be shot, decapitated, torn apart, burned, run over? It's not 'pretty cool' Kyle! It fucking hurts!". His deaths cause him actual, physical pain. And guess what's a disability criteria?

You guessed: they have a 'physical or mental impairment'

(it "fucking hurts", I think that's physically impairing enough)

Also, his deaths have slowed down for the last few seasons, sure, but they still happen. And this is important, because they'll probably keep happening for the rest of his life - and if not, they've already lasted long enough anyway:

A 'substantial adverse effect' means more than just a minor impact on someone's life or how they can do certain things. This may fluctuate or change and may not happen all the time.'Long-term' means either:it will affect them or is likely to affect them for at least 12 months it's likely to last for the rest of their life It can still be considered long-term if the effects come and go. For example, a fluctuating condition might affect someone for a few months at a time with other times when they're not affected.

So, yeah. Kenny, canonical Kenneth McCormick, legally qualifies as disabled. But what makes him such good rep? He's still a well-loved character, not only in spite of his disability (yes, I'm calling his deaths a disability, sue me), but also because of it. Kenny is a pretty cool guy, he's cute, he's silly, he's a goddamn perv but really respectful about it too, and he dies in every episode which is actually hilarious. And about the perv part - fuck yeah, disabled character who not only isn't asexual, but is canonically the first in his friend group to do (consensual) sexual things! He's also canonically pretty desirable, he's the 7th in the List after all (and he's not just there for the girls' benefit like Clyde, Kenny is poor asf which means they genuinely find him desirable, and probably could've ended in the top 5 had it not been rigged). He's such a cool guy, and he's also disabled, and we love him for it.

Not to talk about Mysterion & PK, whose literal powers are the things that disable Typical Kenny - which, yeah, it's a bit of inspiration porn, but it's also a huge "fuck you" to god on Kenny's side. And it's not like "hey, I rose over my disability!", the moment in which Kenny talks (complains) most about it is actually when he's playing Mysterion - or it is in the show, at least. He was given bullshit, and yet he used it on his own benefit, but that didn't make the struggle disappear in his usual life - he's still disabled, no matter how much he uses it in his own favor. And we all love him for that.

I think he's actually awesome disability rep, mostly because he's accidental representation, and yet can (and in my opinion should) be read that way. Kenny McCormick is a beloved character everywhere, and he's also canonically disabled, and I love him for it.

[sillyslayer6]

genshin fandom are HEAVILY sleeping on audhd ajax childe tartaglia

(headcanons in the read more!)

i meaaaan;

stimming - he likes making stuff out of water and fidgeting with them, especially if he's bored; spinning water weapons (like he does in one of his idle animations), making little water creatures (he probably makes them fight), mimicking things around him/in his mind out of water - he messes with his cape as a stim (like in that other idle animation) - him just repeating something just because he likes saying it, like 'coco goat' or some word zhongli taught him impulsivity - THE most impulsive guy ever - impulsive to the point where he'll just throw himself into danger because he has free will - will see some big horrifying monster, think 'i wonder if i could take that' (in a fight), then will attack unless someone stops him - constantly gets himself into trouble because he reacts before he thinks - i headcanon that him using foul legacy against the traveler was him genuinely losing his shit and wasn't planned

(and he probably just laid on the roof of the golden house like 'owww ouagh owww' until the battle with osial was done... also zhongli was watching liyue defend itself on a nearby mountain, like how a worried mother might watch her kids cook for the first time, and just happened to see the orange cat on the roof) hyperactivity - has a brain that never stops - ultra instincts adhd, like rick riordan says - if he ever stops moving, he'll die - complains if he has to stay still - probably fidgets non-stop - the tsaritsa is an ally and has plenty of random crap to fiddle with on harbinger coats socializing - canonically the odd one out among his peers (granted, his peers are all scheming goth people) - i swear he (canonically) constantly misses social cues and takes things literally... - he misses social cues more than he misses crits - blunt and straightforward, and prefers that way of communicating - headcanon that zhongli lying to him actually hurt his feelings and his reaction was genuine... (and that reaction is a little too relatable, as someone who's neurodivergent... 😔🤨) - this is probably an english-only thing, but his little 'haha' in stressful circumstances is him masking/coping with the situation and doing a brain reset, or just his default 'how the fuck am i meant to react to that' response (citation: I DO THAT!!) - somehow masks and unmasks at the same time, like how he's wearing his literal mask on his head - will just come out with the most profound and deep truths, this jumpscares people (especially ones who think he's a total dumbass) - childe unmasking is just him with no expression, doing things in almost complete silence, even before the abyss he brought the vibe to the function that neurotypicals hate - ^ he'll never unmask around his fellow harbingers because he doesn't like them but also he likes annoying them hyperfixations/special interests - easy 'he's obsessed with battle' connection, c'mannn - and easy 'he's got an interest in weaponry', duhhhh - but imagine him just being able to identify any fish, too. - hyperfixated on liyue history, cuisine and culture during his stay there, probably kept getting zhongli to talk about whatever he was hyperfixating on that week (btw zhongli's autistic too, it's because he's hot, sorry i don't make the rules) - picks up 1 million hobbies and hyperfixates on them either for a week or until he's mastered them (the one week ones get shelved until he masters them) nerfed by celestia, AKA idk what to title this section - i just can't see childe being able to sit there and finish paperwork like a regular guy - northland bank managers fear him (he hands in paperwork one minute before the deadline) - pulcinella probably handles his important harbinger documents because childe lost too many of them - exchanged his quick moving and dodging in battle for a weekly sacrifice (he trips over something or breaks things through clumsiness; him and lynette are comrades in arms for breaking machines) - his sleep schedule is that he doesn't have one - he turns into some hunter-gatherer eater, unless someone with a normal routine is around, then he follows them and has regular meals at regular times (as opposed to him cooking borscht at 11AM

[st-enbious]

He's the representation we deserve 🤧 👏 😌

Now I just gotta decide if I wanna redo Chilchuck for this set or what 🤔

Speedpaint!

[flashthescalesian-art]

WE GOT CONFIRMATION THAT TECH IS AUTISTIC, Y’ALL.

freaking love the representation

[gorewound]

Have you ever picked the cheap store-brand version of something, then when you got it home discovered that it's not just as good as the name-brand it's like actually better and now you will always get that one instead?

That's how I feel about the Banana Splits movie.

[caterpillarinacave]

Cannot possibly explain how much I, an incredibly lonely autistic child, love and have always loved Henry Fairchild

[stars-obsessed]

I am pretty bad at finishing projects but at least I finished it! I will be celebrating with a plain Rice Krispies Treat now :)

Finished version: human!Donnie

Donatello "Donnie" Hamato. 16. Japanese/Chinese American. Donnie is my favorite and I just love all my silly little ideas about him and all his autism. I am the same and I can’t get enough. You go, you Funky Flat Fuck (I’m not waiting till Friday to post, sorry.)

[primeministerofantarctica]

so much of "my roommate is a cat" hinges on the fact that subaru is autistic i forget that's not an actual canon thing. like genuinely i don't know how someone can understand the show if they don't understand subaru.

[libraford]

Was talking with a friend about autism representation in the media and how we wish that there was more than just 'savant type' representation. And that it's getting better, but we could also be improving.

And I thought back to the conversation I had with my boss earlier, about how officially the statistic is that 1% of people have autism but it's likely much higher because that's based on diagnosis and there are a LOT of people who are not diagnosed-for a variety of reasons.

He asked me about symptoms because his exposure to autism was things like nonverbiality, lack of motor control, tantrums. I told him about the 'sundae bar' model- where it's not a scale of severity so much as a family of symptoms that often appear together in different intensities. Explained some of the symptoms- love of routine, strong moral code, not great at social cues, talks too much when on their favorite subject, etc. And he said that this describes a lot of people that we work with.

This guy has previously used autism as an insult, so I think he's rethinking his behavior and I'm glad we had the conversation. I was actually hinting that he might be autistic, but I don't think he's ready. (If you get him talking about trees, you'll see it.)

Anyways- back to the topic of media:

There are a lot more characters in media that appear autistic coded but it's not said outright. And after that conversation with my boss, I wonder how many 'coded' characters are not intentionally written this way, but the author is like: oh yes, this character is based off of a person I know- who is typically very quiet until you get them on a topic they like. Or this person- who always wants to make sure things are fair. Or this person- who gets burned out easily and has a new job every few months.

Which is why it's really easy to headcanon a lot of characters as autistic- it's possible the person they're based on IS autistic and the author only knows about autism in the context they've been shown.

Anyways, that's some thoughts I've had this week.

[musingsofanaroace]

Aro and Ace Content Creators

Fluently Aspec

This aro and ace content creator makes many short and informative videos about the different types of aros and aces that exist out there in the world. If you're suspecting that you may be aro or ace or both, this channel will give you the pertinent information you need. On the other hand, if someone in your life has come out as aro or ace or both, this channel will also help you. It will provide you with the necessary information to better understand your loved one and their experiences.

Ace Dad Advice

Cody Daigle-Orians is a gay ace and agender content creator who makes many entertaining and informative videos about anything to do with the a-spectrum. Also, he breaks down many of the stereotypes and assumptions people make about asexuality in general. Besides the online content, they have also written a few books on the subject as well: I Am Ace and The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide (out October 2024).

Lynn Saga

This non-binary and aspec content creator makes many informative videos on sexuality and gender. Also, they don't shy away from discussing emotional or vulnerable topics. They're not afraid to "tell it as it is". Seriously, go show them some love!

Rowan Ellis

This lesbian and ace content creator makes engaging and comprehensive video essays on queer topics. Her videos are always well-researched and thought-provoking. I especially liked her latest, "the chronically online state of asexual discourse". Besides creating video essays, she has also written the nonfiction book Queer and Here.

thom_is_trans

This trans content creator identifies as being on the ace spectrum. He mostly posts videos on Heartstopper related content but does occasionally branch out to different topics. Besides his witty humor and obsession over Heartstopper, he is an author and has published several queer YA books under the name T.J. Baer. Dreamers and The Boy Who Was Kissed are his latest.

Spacey Aces

This channel is run by Elle and Kaden. Elle is a genderfluid AroAce, and they are also autistic. Kaden is a non-binary and demisexual aromantic. On this channel, they explore many neurodivergent and queer topics. I especially liked the video "History of Autism | The Importance of Self-Advocacy & Community".

Evan Edinger

This British born American is a straight demisexual who mostly makes YouTube videos on anything that interests him, such as British vs American culture, photography, British politics, biking, language learning, you name it. In the past, he has also made several videos about his sexuality or sexuality in general.

Well, that's all I have for today. Until next time, take care and stay curious.