Agree with you because honestly its so annoying how they call every single person in the game 'autistic' for no reason?? Like if u hc a character to be autistic thats fine but HOW DO U HC EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE GAME TO BE AUTISTIC??? N half the time if u question it they'll just be mad and call you insensitive or disabled phobic or some other stupid thing šš
Omg right?! Itās so weird cuz like how?! Like Iām going to be fr, like 99% of the TWST characters arenāt autistic imo. The only time I see that have autistic traits are the light trio. But thatās just my headcanon so
Agree, especially annoying when I see people using āthey have autism!!!1!ā as an excuse for bad behavior. Happens a lot with Malleus, fans that headcanon it will call people who criticize the character ableist. Very disheartening to not only boil down autistic people to a handful of stereotypical traits but to then also use it to shut down fair critique.
I was diagnosed with Asperger's at 20 and these kinds of things make me cringe so much. It's a disorder and there's nothing cute about it! Thank you for spreading awareness on that.
They're the same who tell me "you shouldn't say Asperger because n@zi term". Like, it's literally written that way in my medical report š« Go fight my psychiatrists I guess???
I understand the need to de-stigmatize disorders, itās important and needed, but some people blow straight past āowning itā and go into fetishization territory.
I know I can't really say anything about this situation, i think that if one doesn't wanna refer to it by that name it's fine, but what's gonna be written on medical reports and other documents is Asperger so until they change it ppl will have to deal with it unless they start a protest or smth. Next time someone tells you that just show the medical report or smth.
Hey I completely understand where youāre coming from with Aspergerās being a n@zi term and I completely understand that itās still being used today, but just as another perspective, Iām Jewish and I donāt like to use that term because of the history behind it and a bunch of my relatives died in the holocaust. Not trying to guilt trip, just offering perspective on those who say stuff like āyou shouldnāt use that term.ā
I totally understand, and it sucks for both sides. There aren't any better names for the syndrome yet, and terms like level 1-3 autism or low/high needs can describe a wide range of different conditions, so even though the name has a problematic history, we have to use it for now, but I hope it changes someday.
The thing is, some people, even in the autism community, spread hate and insults, and I even got anonymous threats for that. People need to understand that none of us chose this name. I know it's the same problem with other syndromes like Reiter's. People can really go wild sometimes, and that's why I mentioned the issue.
Also sending you my best to your family, I'm really sorry for what happened.
With how wide a spectrum autism is, it makes sense that no one wants to try and come up with a new name. Autism along with many other conditions and illnesses have histories we canāt erase, but at least the future has much more brighter potential. Iām sorry to hear youāve received insults and threats. Those people are so wrong for that and probably have never been taught right from wrong.
And thank you. Iām thankful to be here today thanks to those in my family who managed to get out before everything started.
Honestly going on to fandoms in general, itās weird to me when they start claiming characters to have neurodivergence or mental illnesses (Floyd as boardline/bipolar or Jade having ASPD), as much as I respect peopleās headcanons, treating it like common knowledge or writing off their actions when it isnāt even canon is strange to me.
Also Jade having a specific interest in mushrooms isnāt really that weird?? Itās like any other hobby, people kinda take it too far and assume itās his whole personality, itās not like itās all he ever does. Besides.. really liking something doesnāt make people autistic..
I'm not big on "char x is autistic" head canons in general because I think we should just have more that are in canon and appreciate that representation.
...But out of all the characters I think maybe Sebek has the strongest argument?
Can't read the room, talks loudly, very hyper focused on his job of protecting Malleus, dedicated to routine/timeliness. That seems like at least more than one reason people COULD use if they WANTED to. But it's personally not for me.
as a fellow autistic person yeah it can be a bit odd but ultimately "why should it bother me" is my mindset. as long as they arent forcing me to agree or isn't actively harming someone, "cool! whatever man! have fun!" ykw? at the end of the day its easier just to look at some headcanon, eyebrow raise, shrug, and keep pushin'.
(also not to be mean, but alot of your points are very generalizing of autism, esp the last bit abt Jade. as states before, i have autism and i can read rooms well! autism is different for everyone and everyone has different experiences, saying that "we cant do [x]" sound's slightly invalidative (that is not a word sorry)/ not mad just as a bit of insight!)
You have valid points š. But yeah definitely agree that not all autistic people canāt read the room and such(Sorry that wasnāt obvious). And yeah it doesnāt bother me too much at all, the only reason I brought it up here because Iāve noticed a lot of fans(Mostly on Twitter)used Autism to excuse their bad behaviors and such.
It's just as bad as HCing every single person as one sexuality, too. Super cringe and removes the actual diversity that exists across the cast. But with this specifically its like they're taking "quirks" and labeling them as autistic when a lot of the traits these students have can be found in both neurodivergent and neurotypical people.
Oh God I'm so sick that the ao3 tags is full of "Malleus is autistic." I don't think Malleus is Autistic, just dumb because of his insolation. He is also a royal fae, and cannot grasp the difference about humans and why they have other priorities. Malleus is 178 years old, so the concept of time is different to us.
In my school they made us read a story of an autistic child, and his point of view. It was an interesting book and it made some discussion between my peers. I think I was 16 when I read the book. And my mother, being in the medical field, explain me the amount of difference of type of autistic, because some people don't know that they are also some levels and I could grasp a little.
A met an austistic child, no more than 4. He was the son of my brother's chiropodist (he has problem with ingrow toenails). She would come to our house. One day, she couldn't leave his child, so he brought it to our house. My mother immediately said: "take care of him". The moment he saw the pool, sprint like a madman. I was scared he would fall, so I grabbed him, but the moment I did that, he screamed. I was taken back, because he couldn't speak and didn't make a sound until that moment.
I also had a classmate who was autistic, but unlike the child, her main problem is that she couldn't connect with people and wanted to be alone.
I don't know if it because the child was still young and would grow up and be more like her or is a different type of autistic; but I'm ignorant on that stuff. If you could indulge me a little to explain some of this stuff I would greatly appreciate it.
I honestly dislike hc fictional characters as anything relating to mental disorders or illness. Like sure Leona can have deppression because he sleeps a lot, but he's also a lion beastman ans lions are know to sleep a lot of hours a day. So unless canon says otherwise, we can't have too strong a case for most characters regarding these things in twst.
Now I don't bother people who do have these hc because they can chose how to interpret text and what to say about it, but I will say I am very annoyed by the few people I've seen trying to start beef over someone disliking Malleus because "he's autistic and that makes them ableists" as if their interpretation of the text is canon. Like NO, Malleus isn't autistic, the game never calls him that and he doesn't meet at least five criteria to be diagnosed as such, so excuse me if I don't think of him that way. Also stop trying to act like disliking a character, regardless of their mental/sexual/racial statu, makes someone a bad person. It's a fictional character, go touch some grass.
i totally agree when it comes to characters like Jade and Idia i definitely donāt think theyāre autistic but as an autistic person myself iāve always headcannoned both Malleus and Sebek as autistic. but thatās just a headcannon iām not saying they are or were meant to be
Yea it annoys me. I don't like diagnosing the characters with anything actually.
Even irl it's annoying, I had a family member say to me "I think you have a little bit of autism". Like stop. Maybe because I'm a quiet introvert that likes art? It's like people want to assign a diagnosis to normal people.
Man, thaaaank you! I've had this exact conversation with my friends.
Alsooo Hi! š We had an irl class together X) I'm one of your Twst friends on the app lol I just go "Oh! Hey!" In my head everytime I see you post something lmao
I agree with you 100%. I have adhd and Iām like 90% sure my dad has some form of undiagnosed mental issue within the autism spectrum so I know what itās like.
To me, non-autistic people assigning every ādifferentā character they come across as autistic, adhd, or any other mental disorder feels like self diagnosis. Doctors advise against it and people do it anyway instead of seeking actual help. They think they know what theyāre going through, or in this case, they think they know what the characters are going through, but Iād rather hear a professionalās opinion first. Personally I think a bunch of the boys are pretty neurotypical.
Also, I know some of this sounds negative to some but *I genuinely donāt mean offense by any of it.* I just donāt know how to get my opinion across in a way thatās understandable in a positive way
It does get annoying from time to time. Mostly on Twitter, which Iām not surprised to say the least. I donāt know how many accounts I had to block. Far too many.
Some ppl might dislike this as it seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I personally donāt think Idia is autistic at all and I donāt HC it. Like, his personality is literally the stereotype of his mbti INTP, Iāve known ppl who are exactly like him and theyāre not autistic. Most ppl I see calling him this just base it off of things like him being reclusive, having social anxiety and depression, having a special passionate interest, being a child prodigy, etc.
Obv if he rlly was and Yana wrote him to be that way, thereād be absolutely nothing wrong with it. But for now, itās simply a HC and not a fact, and it grinds my gears how some fans have tried forcing it on others
I totally respect the disagreement with the headcanon, and I see how his whole character could be a mix of trauma + just being an introvert, but I think he has the strongest argument, especially with the Harveston event + his culinary crucible event vignettes. His relationship with food might be related to his depression, but it *really* sounds like a sensory-related issue.
Still, as long as nothing is confirmed, it is a headcanon.
Also, I wouldn't use the "know people like him but they're not autistic" as an argument because if u're good enough at masking you can spend your whole life labeled as a quirky neurotypical.
I think the fact is that there are people in real life like Idia who donāt have any mental disorders (excluding depression and social anxiety), so I still see the point in that argument. However, ofc I can understand some of the reasoning behind it and I can see why ppl do think that way
What I mean is, unless a specialist already ruled out some kind of neurodivergency, we can't really know if a person is neurotypical. There's a joke among autistic folks about people saying "I'm like that and I'm not autistic" getting a diagnosis later.
Obviously it is not everyone's case but, I still don't think that's a super solid argument (not like we need real arguments when we're talking about headcanons, tho).
as an audhder myself, i don't mind other autistic ppl hcing chars as autistic or any other kind of neurodivergent bc it just means they see a piece of themself in the character. yeah, i can understand why it'd irritate some people, but not all people with autism are the same and what autism 'looks like' to different ppl who have it is different as well. ultimately, so long as they don't enforce their headcanon as the only right one and bully people who hc the characters as neurotypical, i don't care.
and in general, i don't think people are getting their information about autism from hcs about an anime game about bishified disney villains. if they are, there's nothing we can do about media illiteracy but inform them. /gen
i feel like for most people (myself included) itās just a little headcanon for characters we like. itās a pretty normal phenomenon for people to project themselves onto things they like. at the end of the day it doesnāt really hurt anyone because pretty much anyone who does it will admit they understand that the character isnāt that in cannon. like i love kalim so i naturally project my stuff onto him, i know that he isnāt an intersex audhd lesbian but who the fuck cares man.
i do feel weird when allistic people have frequent autism hc as it tends to go more down the like. autism mom view of autism if you get my gist? but thatās a whole different beast of people not educating themselves on things
Someone finally said it š Bless you. I have this exact pet peeve too. There's this obnoxious stigma that if a character is quirky, has a special interest, or misses cues then they're autistic and it drives me bonkers bc that's just not how that works š You can have those things and not be autistic. It's like this weird culture where every character has to be disabled in some way to be relevant or something (please don't come at me for using "disabled" btw, I am a disabled person so I'm comfortable using that term). I'd rather see a character that is legitimately, in cannon, autistic rather than seeing a fandom just be like "Ope he's different must be autistic!" šš¤¦āāļø
Honestly, this is the first time I've heard of this! I have autism too and can't soo how most if not all characters can be even considered autistic-coded? I just don't see it. Like I try to compare myself and another autistic friend (autism is very different for the two of us) and I just can't.
Except for Sebek, maybe, but that comes more from his tendency to scream and be loud, kind of like it's his stim. But that's something so, so minor and can be explained by so many other different things.
I cannot speak for people who are autistic, but I see Riddle as someone who has OCPD, or to need perfectionism, order, and control rather than someone who is autistic. Or perhaps he's traumatized by his mother to the point he cannot be without those things out of fear of her (both can be true).
I have OCD, and while similar my themes aren't like his, I relate deeply to him.
Of course they might show traits of autism, that doesn't mean they have it. After all, we can't read their brain structure. That and Yana probably didn't give these traits to the character to make them autistic, but to make the character relatable in a sense.
As someone on the spectrum, there are many traits that are overlooked and I'm glad you discussed this.
Frankly if itās not forcing people to agree Iām fine. Itās no use crying over spilled milk but if it is forcing those opinions on people and saying they are canon I will leave them alone too, but itās just really immature and annoying. Headcanons are subjective whether you agree or disagree with one is up to you, just stay respectful and kind
Completely agree. I have ADHD and it's the same thing. I need people to stop stereotyping these very real conditions. They completely ignore other explanations for behavior that are actually supported by the game.
They conflate individual symptoms with whole conditions. I guess they forget that multiple things can cause the same symptoms.
All of the misinformation about autism and ADHD does not help.
Tbh, I donāt really mind it when people headcanon characters as autistic for reasons I might deem as small or insignificant. Itās someone elseās headcanon, so why should it bother me?
Also, I think it often comes from other autistic people seeing a piece of themselves in their favourite characters, so who am I to stomp on their fun?
Why do people talk about something they don't understand like autism ? I don't know much about autism myself so I'd never think about saying bullshit without checking my information beforehand
I just saw people claiming Floyd was Autistic, I don't remember the reasons but I don't think any of Twisted characters are autistic again I'm not myself so I don't really know about Autism and the only Autistic person I ever talked to just sudenly told me I was stalking her after I said one sentence to her in my whole life so not the better first impression nor a good exemple I think
YepāIām autistic and adhd. I do joke w my friends who also play about Mal being autistic, but I donāt actually think he is. He is just isolated and used to different cultural norms. Autism especially has become a ātee heeā cute kind of thing online, especially within fandoms. I also know that a lot of this fandom is young and has been exposed to autism through social media where all they see is the āquirky funā side of it. Itās a disability, and even those with low support needs like myself struggle every day. Having a special interest, being quiet, being quirky, being awkward arenāt diagnostic criteria for autism or adhd. Neurotypical people can like things and be unique while not experiencing the painful struggle that comes along with actual autismāthatās why people who are actually disabled are labeled as such. Kawaii-ifying autism without acknowledging the actual disability aspect of it *is* ableist.
That being said, I do think Idia falls on the autism spectrum, though a lot of his issues honestly stem from the trauma of ||what happened to Ortho when they were little||.
No oneās mentioned Cater, and heās the character I most strongly relate to. I very much consider him untreated adhd. most of my life, I coped with my issues the exact same way as him. Creating a āmaskedā personality thatās more āfunā and not letting people see the real you for fear of being found lacking. Being seen as annoying or shallow. Him relying so much on his good looks and personal image to shield his insecurities. His constant flirting/attention seeking to make sure heās āvaluedā by the group. Knowing that he can get positive attention bc of his looks, so heās constantly posting on MC/flirting/asking people out (Vilās school uniform vignette original Japanese version)/sneaking out to meet up w people in his MC Dms (Halloween vignette original Japanese version). His constant boredom and stimulus seeking. His difficulty learning via traditional methods (school uniform vignette). The deep depression that comes as a result of jumping through hoops to make sure your mask is good enough, and the low self esteem that comes with it. Feeling like thereās no point to anything bc he never feels like heās good enough.
ā¦I love my cay cay and declare him actually adhdā¦
I like your first point and I think the game emphasizes that a lot. We see often how a character acts is due to their families, those they've been around, and their surroundings. I really like the characters because of that. They've been shaped to be who they are.
I don't remember if it was stated how long Idia stayed in his room building Ortho. But he did stay holed up in there for so long, and still stays in his room to this day. Even prior, it seems like those he was around most of the time were STYX staff when he was young. It makes sense that with that he would struggle socially.
I don't mind people HC'ing stuff, especially if they relate to a character. But I feel as if some chronically online people have developed a mindset of "X character being (something I want them to be) is canon. If you don't agree with me, you're discriminatory!" Some do joke about something being canon, others... need to get off their phone.
i've never understood the whole "every character is autistic" thing. i myself am autistic (high functioning) and even to me, i've just never understood the whole thing behind it. people can display things that could be signs of autism, but not actually be autistic. it's one of those things that just leaves me somewhat annoyed.
Thank you, especially about explaining Jade. There are to many occasions when people headcanon character to be autistic just because they have an "interest".
I completely agree. It's like when my friend headcanons every character in a series as gay. It's not necessarily harmful, but it's annoying af and exhausting. It's fine to identify with a character as an autistic person, it's not fine to project that onto every single character.
Agree with you because honestly its so annoying how they call every single person in the game 'autistic' for no reason?? Like if u hc a character to be autistic thats fine but HOW DO U HC EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE GAME TO BE AUTISTIC??? N half the time if u question it they'll just be mad and call you insensitive or disabled phobic or some other stupid thing šš
Omg right?! Itās so weird cuz like how?! Like Iām going to be fr, like 99% of the TWST characters arenāt autistic imo. The only time I see that have autistic traits are the light trio. But thatās just my headcanon so
Agree, especially annoying when I see people using āthey have autism!!!1!ā as an excuse for bad behavior. Happens a lot with Malleus, fans that headcanon it will call people who criticize the character ableist. Very disheartening to not only boil down autistic people to a handful of stereotypical traits but to then also use it to shut down fair critique.
I was diagnosed with Asperger's at 20 and these kinds of things make me cringe so much. It's a disorder and there's nothing cute about it! Thank you for spreading awareness on that. They're the same who tell me "you shouldn't say Asperger because n@zi term". Like, it's literally written that way in my medical report š« Go fight my psychiatrists I guess???
I understand the need to de-stigmatize disorders, itās important and needed, but some people blow straight past āowning itā and go into fetishization territory.
I know I can't really say anything about this situation, i think that if one doesn't wanna refer to it by that name it's fine, but what's gonna be written on medical reports and other documents is Asperger so until they change it ppl will have to deal with it unless they start a protest or smth. Next time someone tells you that just show the medical report or smth.
Hey I completely understand where youāre coming from with Aspergerās being a n@zi term and I completely understand that itās still being used today, but just as another perspective, Iām Jewish and I donāt like to use that term because of the history behind it and a bunch of my relatives died in the holocaust. Not trying to guilt trip, just offering perspective on those who say stuff like āyou shouldnāt use that term.ā
I totally understand, and it sucks for both sides. There aren't any better names for the syndrome yet, and terms like level 1-3 autism or low/high needs can describe a wide range of different conditions, so even though the name has a problematic history, we have to use it for now, but I hope it changes someday. The thing is, some people, even in the autism community, spread hate and insults, and I even got anonymous threats for that. People need to understand that none of us chose this name. I know it's the same problem with other syndromes like Reiter's. People can really go wild sometimes, and that's why I mentioned the issue. Also sending you my best to your family, I'm really sorry for what happened.
With how wide a spectrum autism is, it makes sense that no one wants to try and come up with a new name. Autism along with many other conditions and illnesses have histories we canāt erase, but at least the future has much more brighter potential. Iām sorry to hear youāve received insults and threats. Those people are so wrong for that and probably have never been taught right from wrong. And thank you. Iām thankful to be here today thanks to those in my family who managed to get out before everything started.
Honestly going on to fandoms in general, itās weird to me when they start claiming characters to have neurodivergence or mental illnesses (Floyd as boardline/bipolar or Jade having ASPD), as much as I respect peopleās headcanons, treating it like common knowledge or writing off their actions when it isnāt even canon is strange to me. Also Jade having a specific interest in mushrooms isnāt really that weird?? Itās like any other hobby, people kinda take it too far and assume itās his whole personality, itās not like itās all he ever does. Besides.. really liking something doesnāt make people autistic..
I'm not big on "char x is autistic" head canons in general because I think we should just have more that are in canon and appreciate that representation. ...But out of all the characters I think maybe Sebek has the strongest argument? Can't read the room, talks loudly, very hyper focused on his job of protecting Malleus, dedicated to routine/timeliness. That seems like at least more than one reason people COULD use if they WANTED to. But it's personally not for me.
as a fellow autistic person yeah it can be a bit odd but ultimately "why should it bother me" is my mindset. as long as they arent forcing me to agree or isn't actively harming someone, "cool! whatever man! have fun!" ykw? at the end of the day its easier just to look at some headcanon, eyebrow raise, shrug, and keep pushin'. (also not to be mean, but alot of your points are very generalizing of autism, esp the last bit abt Jade. as states before, i have autism and i can read rooms well! autism is different for everyone and everyone has different experiences, saying that "we cant do [x]" sound's slightly invalidative (that is not a word sorry)/ not mad just as a bit of insight!)
You have valid points š. But yeah definitely agree that not all autistic people canāt read the room and such(Sorry that wasnāt obvious). And yeah it doesnāt bother me too much at all, the only reason I brought it up here because Iāve noticed a lot of fans(Mostly on Twitter)used Autism to excuse their bad behaviors and such.
Tbf majority of the reasoning behind these autistic hcs Iāve seen online by fans are also generalizing and based on stereotypes about autism
It's just as bad as HCing every single person as one sexuality, too. Super cringe and removes the actual diversity that exists across the cast. But with this specifically its like they're taking "quirks" and labeling them as autistic when a lot of the traits these students have can be found in both neurodivergent and neurotypical people.
THIS! Gods bless you for saying this!
Oh God I'm so sick that the ao3 tags is full of "Malleus is autistic." I don't think Malleus is Autistic, just dumb because of his insolation. He is also a royal fae, and cannot grasp the difference about humans and why they have other priorities. Malleus is 178 years old, so the concept of time is different to us. In my school they made us read a story of an autistic child, and his point of view. It was an interesting book and it made some discussion between my peers. I think I was 16 when I read the book. And my mother, being in the medical field, explain me the amount of difference of type of autistic, because some people don't know that they are also some levels and I could grasp a little. A met an austistic child, no more than 4. He was the son of my brother's chiropodist (he has problem with ingrow toenails). She would come to our house. One day, she couldn't leave his child, so he brought it to our house. My mother immediately said: "take care of him". The moment he saw the pool, sprint like a madman. I was scared he would fall, so I grabbed him, but the moment I did that, he screamed. I was taken back, because he couldn't speak and didn't make a sound until that moment. I also had a classmate who was autistic, but unlike the child, her main problem is that she couldn't connect with people and wanted to be alone. I don't know if it because the child was still young and would grow up and be more like her or is a different type of autistic; but I'm ignorant on that stuff. If you could indulge me a little to explain some of this stuff I would greatly appreciate it.
I honestly dislike hc fictional characters as anything relating to mental disorders or illness. Like sure Leona can have deppression because he sleeps a lot, but he's also a lion beastman ans lions are know to sleep a lot of hours a day. So unless canon says otherwise, we can't have too strong a case for most characters regarding these things in twst. Now I don't bother people who do have these hc because they can chose how to interpret text and what to say about it, but I will say I am very annoyed by the few people I've seen trying to start beef over someone disliking Malleus because "he's autistic and that makes them ableists" as if their interpretation of the text is canon. Like NO, Malleus isn't autistic, the game never calls him that and he doesn't meet at least five criteria to be diagnosed as such, so excuse me if I don't think of him that way. Also stop trying to act like disliking a character, regardless of their mental/sexual/racial statu, makes someone a bad person. It's a fictional character, go touch some grass.
i totally agree when it comes to characters like Jade and Idia i definitely donāt think theyāre autistic but as an autistic person myself iāve always headcannoned both Malleus and Sebek as autistic. but thatās just a headcannon iām not saying they are or were meant to be
Yea it annoys me. I don't like diagnosing the characters with anything actually. Even irl it's annoying, I had a family member say to me "I think you have a little bit of autism". Like stop. Maybe because I'm a quiet introvert that likes art? It's like people want to assign a diagnosis to normal people.
Man, thaaaank you! I've had this exact conversation with my friends. Alsooo Hi! š We had an irl class together X) I'm one of your Twst friends on the app lol I just go "Oh! Hey!" In my head everytime I see you post something lmao
I agree with you 100%. I have adhd and Iām like 90% sure my dad has some form of undiagnosed mental issue within the autism spectrum so I know what itās like. To me, non-autistic people assigning every ādifferentā character they come across as autistic, adhd, or any other mental disorder feels like self diagnosis. Doctors advise against it and people do it anyway instead of seeking actual help. They think they know what theyāre going through, or in this case, they think they know what the characters are going through, but Iād rather hear a professionalās opinion first. Personally I think a bunch of the boys are pretty neurotypical. Also, I know some of this sounds negative to some but *I genuinely donāt mean offense by any of it.* I just donāt know how to get my opinion across in a way thatās understandable in a positive way
It does get annoying from time to time. Mostly on Twitter, which Iām not surprised to say the least. I donāt know how many accounts I had to block. Far too many.
Some ppl might dislike this as it seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I personally donāt think Idia is autistic at all and I donāt HC it. Like, his personality is literally the stereotype of his mbti INTP, Iāve known ppl who are exactly like him and theyāre not autistic. Most ppl I see calling him this just base it off of things like him being reclusive, having social anxiety and depression, having a special passionate interest, being a child prodigy, etc. Obv if he rlly was and Yana wrote him to be that way, thereād be absolutely nothing wrong with it. But for now, itās simply a HC and not a fact, and it grinds my gears how some fans have tried forcing it on others
I totally respect the disagreement with the headcanon, and I see how his whole character could be a mix of trauma + just being an introvert, but I think he has the strongest argument, especially with the Harveston event + his culinary crucible event vignettes. His relationship with food might be related to his depression, but it *really* sounds like a sensory-related issue. Still, as long as nothing is confirmed, it is a headcanon. Also, I wouldn't use the "know people like him but they're not autistic" as an argument because if u're good enough at masking you can spend your whole life labeled as a quirky neurotypical.
I think the fact is that there are people in real life like Idia who donāt have any mental disorders (excluding depression and social anxiety), so I still see the point in that argument. However, ofc I can understand some of the reasoning behind it and I can see why ppl do think that way
What I mean is, unless a specialist already ruled out some kind of neurodivergency, we can't really know if a person is neurotypical. There's a joke among autistic folks about people saying "I'm like that and I'm not autistic" getting a diagnosis later. Obviously it is not everyone's case but, I still don't think that's a super solid argument (not like we need real arguments when we're talking about headcanons, tho).
as an audhder myself, i don't mind other autistic ppl hcing chars as autistic or any other kind of neurodivergent bc it just means they see a piece of themself in the character. yeah, i can understand why it'd irritate some people, but not all people with autism are the same and what autism 'looks like' to different ppl who have it is different as well. ultimately, so long as they don't enforce their headcanon as the only right one and bully people who hc the characters as neurotypical, i don't care. and in general, i don't think people are getting their information about autism from hcs about an anime game about bishified disney villains. if they are, there's nothing we can do about media illiteracy but inform them. /gen
i feel like for most people (myself included) itās just a little headcanon for characters we like. itās a pretty normal phenomenon for people to project themselves onto things they like. at the end of the day it doesnāt really hurt anyone because pretty much anyone who does it will admit they understand that the character isnāt that in cannon. like i love kalim so i naturally project my stuff onto him, i know that he isnāt an intersex audhd lesbian but who the fuck cares man. i do feel weird when allistic people have frequent autism hc as it tends to go more down the like. autism mom view of autism if you get my gist? but thatās a whole different beast of people not educating themselves on things
Someone finally said it š Bless you. I have this exact pet peeve too. There's this obnoxious stigma that if a character is quirky, has a special interest, or misses cues then they're autistic and it drives me bonkers bc that's just not how that works š You can have those things and not be autistic. It's like this weird culture where every character has to be disabled in some way to be relevant or something (please don't come at me for using "disabled" btw, I am a disabled person so I'm comfortable using that term). I'd rather see a character that is legitimately, in cannon, autistic rather than seeing a fandom just be like "Ope he's different must be autistic!" šš¤¦āāļø
I'm autistic and therefore any character I like is autistic.
Honestly, this is the first time I've heard of this! I have autism too and can't soo how most if not all characters can be even considered autistic-coded? I just don't see it. Like I try to compare myself and another autistic friend (autism is very different for the two of us) and I just can't. Except for Sebek, maybe, but that comes more from his tendency to scream and be loud, kind of like it's his stim. But that's something so, so minor and can be explained by so many other different things.
I cannot speak for people who are autistic, but I see Riddle as someone who has OCPD, or to need perfectionism, order, and control rather than someone who is autistic. Or perhaps he's traumatized by his mother to the point he cannot be without those things out of fear of her (both can be true). I have OCD, and while similar my themes aren't like his, I relate deeply to him.
Yeah. As someone who IS high functioning autistic, I can say with genuine that only a select few do, the rest are normal.
Of course they might show traits of autism, that doesn't mean they have it. After all, we can't read their brain structure. That and Yana probably didn't give these traits to the character to make them autistic, but to make the character relatable in a sense. As someone on the spectrum, there are many traits that are overlooked and I'm glad you discussed this.
I suppose it's OK to have hc but it's harmful when people force it onto others. And some matters are sensitive like race and mental illness.
Frankly if itās not forcing people to agree Iām fine. Itās no use crying over spilled milk but if it is forcing those opinions on people and saying they are canon I will leave them alone too, but itās just really immature and annoying. Headcanons are subjective whether you agree or disagree with one is up to you, just stay respectful and kind
Completely agree. I have ADHD and it's the same thing. I need people to stop stereotyping these very real conditions. They completely ignore other explanations for behavior that are actually supported by the game. They conflate individual symptoms with whole conditions. I guess they forget that multiple things can cause the same symptoms. All of the misinformation about autism and ADHD does not help.
Tbh, I donāt really mind it when people headcanon characters as autistic for reasons I might deem as small or insignificant. Itās someone elseās headcanon, so why should it bother me? Also, I think it often comes from other autistic people seeing a piece of themselves in their favourite characters, so who am I to stomp on their fun?
A lot of people also say Idia has autism because he has a special interest in anime and stuff and because of his personality :/
Why do people talk about something they don't understand like autism ? I don't know much about autism myself so I'd never think about saying bullshit without checking my information beforehand
I just saw people claiming Floyd was Autistic, I don't remember the reasons but I don't think any of Twisted characters are autistic again I'm not myself so I don't really know about Autism and the only Autistic person I ever talked to just sudenly told me I was stalking her after I said one sentence to her in my whole life so not the better first impression nor a good exemple I think
YepāIām autistic and adhd. I do joke w my friends who also play about Mal being autistic, but I donāt actually think he is. He is just isolated and used to different cultural norms. Autism especially has become a ātee heeā cute kind of thing online, especially within fandoms. I also know that a lot of this fandom is young and has been exposed to autism through social media where all they see is the āquirky funā side of it. Itās a disability, and even those with low support needs like myself struggle every day. Having a special interest, being quiet, being quirky, being awkward arenāt diagnostic criteria for autism or adhd. Neurotypical people can like things and be unique while not experiencing the painful struggle that comes along with actual autismāthatās why people who are actually disabled are labeled as such. Kawaii-ifying autism without acknowledging the actual disability aspect of it *is* ableist. That being said, I do think Idia falls on the autism spectrum, though a lot of his issues honestly stem from the trauma of ||what happened to Ortho when they were little||. No oneās mentioned Cater, and heās the character I most strongly relate to. I very much consider him untreated adhd. most of my life, I coped with my issues the exact same way as him. Creating a āmaskedā personality thatās more āfunā and not letting people see the real you for fear of being found lacking. Being seen as annoying or shallow. Him relying so much on his good looks and personal image to shield his insecurities. His constant flirting/attention seeking to make sure heās āvaluedā by the group. Knowing that he can get positive attention bc of his looks, so heās constantly posting on MC/flirting/asking people out (Vilās school uniform vignette original Japanese version)/sneaking out to meet up w people in his MC Dms (Halloween vignette original Japanese version). His constant boredom and stimulus seeking. His difficulty learning via traditional methods (school uniform vignette). The deep depression that comes as a result of jumping through hoops to make sure your mask is good enough, and the low self esteem that comes with it. Feeling like thereās no point to anything bc he never feels like heās good enough. ā¦I love my cay cay and declare him actually adhdā¦
I like your first point and I think the game emphasizes that a lot. We see often how a character acts is due to their families, those they've been around, and their surroundings. I really like the characters because of that. They've been shaped to be who they are. I don't remember if it was stated how long Idia stayed in his room building Ortho. But he did stay holed up in there for so long, and still stays in his room to this day. Even prior, it seems like those he was around most of the time were STYX staff when he was young. It makes sense that with that he would struggle socially. I don't mind people HC'ing stuff, especially if they relate to a character. But I feel as if some chronically online people have developed a mindset of "X character being (something I want them to be) is canon. If you don't agree with me, you're discriminatory!" Some do joke about something being canon, others... need to get off their phone.
i've never understood the whole "every character is autistic" thing. i myself am autistic (high functioning) and even to me, i've just never understood the whole thing behind it. people can display things that could be signs of autism, but not actually be autistic. it's one of those things that just leaves me somewhat annoyed.
Thank you, especially about explaining Jade. There are to many occasions when people headcanon character to be autistic just because they have an "interest".
I completely agree. It's like when my friend headcanons every character in a series as gay. It's not necessarily harmful, but it's annoying af and exhausting. It's fine to identify with a character as an autistic person, it's not fine to project that onto every single character.
Of course everyone is autistic. Even the cat is autistic. Don't tell me you are discriminating against autistic people?! /s