Does anyone know of any fictional characters with AS?
I was thinking about this a few days ago actually. In my opinion I think there are three categories here - characters that have AS, characters that we might be able to read as having AS and characters that may be "representative" of AS.
First group would be characters that have AS written a part of their background/personality/whatever. Possible subcategory would be a character described as having AS, but the writer did not do the research, messes up the characterisation and as such the character doesn't have AS at all.
Second would be ones that act in ways asscociated with AS, but this might not be an intentional part of their character (ie: the writer wanted a "quirky" and/or "socially awkward" and the way the character was written coincides with AS). This would make up the majority of the list I suspect.
Third would be characters that probably don't have AS, but may have features that we relate to AS (intentionally or otherwise). This one is harder to explain, so I'll use examples (from Star Trek, 'cause I've seen these characters come up in this sort of discussion once before): Vulcans have difficulty making small talk with other races, difficulty picking up or predicting the emotions of others, can be very blunt in what they say etc - Data (from Star Trek: TNG) tends not to pick up social cues and colloquialisms, difficulty with empathy and picking up the emotions of others, has a hard time noticing when someone isn't interested in what he's saying or when he's giving too much detail in response to a question, etc. Difference between this and the other categories - the Vulcan behaviours were devised as a cultural feature, and Data's were intended as the features of a android lacking in "human emotions" attempting to fit in with a mostly human crew. In other words - these characters are not human and whilst they have AS like features to their personalities, they definitely do not have these features due to any disorder.
I hope that makes sense Your thoughts on this idea? Am I just overanalyzing?
I take non-humans out of the picture altogether. What is neurotypical for humans may have absolutely no reference to other species. (With apologies to the author of All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome)
I think the more interesting character to examine from the Star Trek universe is Reg Barclay. Again, we have a character with a clinically significant social impairment. There is no solid evidence one way or another, but it is open to speculation.
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--James
Kim Ross from the webcomic Dresden Codak. She is never stated outright to have AS/high functioning autism, although I think she does.
http://dresdencodak.com/2009/04/19/onald-creely/
I've started reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult, about a family with an 18 year old Aspie boy. I'm ambivalent about it -- she seems to have done all her interviewing with parents found through Autism Speaks and though I think she's making an attempt to be balanced, well, consider the source. The mom seems to be a total curebie... reading about her husband leaving her, I can't help thinking, "hell, I would have left her too."
But I'm not that far in yet and other perspectives may yet appear.
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Sharing the spectrum with my awesome daughter.
Whatever! Not that I don't believe you. I do. But Sheldon is completely an aspie, whether the producers think so or not. I wonder what the writers say. Intentionally or not, they have created a character that many of us with AS identify with. I see certain aspects of myself in Sheldon every week and revel in the humorous portrayal of a brilliant but antisocial character. The producers may say Sheldon is not on the spectrum, but I think many fans would disagree. I think diagnosing Sheldon would be a mistake and out-of-character for the show, but I'm going to go on thinking of Sheldon as an aspie!
Whatever! Not that I don't believe you. I do. But Sheldon is completely an aspie, whether the producers think so or not. I wonder what the writers say. Intentionally or not, they have created a character that many of us with AS identify with. I see certain aspects of myself in Sheldon every week and revel in the humorous portrayal of a brilliant but antisocial character. The producers may say Sheldon is not on the spectrum, but I think many fans would disagree. I think diagnosing Sheldon would be a mistake and out-of-character for the show, but I'm going to go on thinking of Sheldon as an aspie!
Whatever! Not that I don't believe you. I do. But Sheldon is completely an aspie, whether the producers think so or not. I wonder what the writers say. Intentionally or not, they have created a character that many of us with AS identify with. I see certain aspects of myself in Sheldon every week and revel in the humorous portrayal of a brilliant but antisocial character. The producers may say Sheldon is not on the spectrum, but I think many fans would disagree. I think diagnosing Sheldon would be a mistake and out-of-character for the show, but I'm going to go on thinking of Sheldon as an aspie!
i have to disagree bee, sheldon is extremely aspergian. i know the creator when asked said "my opinion is his mom never got a diagnosis so i just don't know". in one interview jim parsons said sheldon "really could not be anymore aspie, could he." he doesn't know the proper things to say because, by his own admission, most of the human experience escapes him. he does make intense eye contact, but it is still inappropriate eye contact. not all aspie present this symptom by avoiding eye contact. you called his interaction with people charming and genuinely animated, when most of the humor is focused around his callous interactions and the oddness of his behaviors. these judgements coming from the collective characters of weird super nerds. the character is also looking constantly for solitude and to withdraw. no one is allowed in his room, he sits alone in an office all day thinking about whatever floats his boat, and there have been numerous episodes focusing around sheldon getting solitude from everyone, being so happy about it, and it being ruined. and if you saw the epsidoe monday going back seven years to when he and leonard first met the writers added fuel to the fire... i think it had to be intentional at this point. but that's just my perception.
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"humans make for piss poor people."
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