As said before, for the month of April, for Autism Acceptance/Awareness month, I am hoping to draw and post art of fictional (mostly animated) characters who are headcannoned to be autistic or canonically autistic and explain why they made the list in my mind.Â
I understand that it might be controversial for some, who prefer to see those characters as caricatures and cartoon characters, and thatâs fine. No one is forcing you to have these views. These points that I put about each character I talk about tend are commonly characteristics of autism and resonate with a lot of autistics, due to some of the behaviors and traits exhibited in the show/movie/comic, etc, even if the writers wrote them like that unintentionally.Â
Just to clarify, the list is in no particular order, and itâs going to include both male and female characters (and some non binary ones) and one trait that I will NOT include is theyâre wearing the same outfit. (I understand that a lot of autistics tend to wear the same outfit or the same kind often due to sensory issues with texture, but as far as animated characters are concerned, itâs a cartoon character trait so that that the character is recognizable). Also, if a character is of a different sexuality, this will not be included as a trait as it is a totally separate thing to the neurological condition (even though in a lot of studies, itâs shown that autistic people are more likely to be homosexual/trans/non binary, etc, but sexuality doesnât equal autism. Itâs more coincidental).Â
Without further ado, letâs get on:
1. SpongeBob SquarePantsÂ
I know what youâre thinking, How can a cartoon sea sponge who is meant to be portrayed as somewhat of an idiot and optimistic be autistic?Â
I understand all that, as he IS meant to be a cartoon character who simply has an optimistic view of the world, but hereâs why I believe him to be autistic:Â
While he is relentlessly optimistic and social, he can also be very naĂŻve, and he doesnât always see otherâs true intentions, as shown with Plankton, Mr Krabs and Squidward, and in some cases, Patrick (in later seasons). Thankfully, this gets him out of trouble sometimes.Â
He also doesnât always take a hint that others might be annoyed by him and might want to be left alone.Â
Considering he is somewhat a young adult (he has a job, lives independently, and is learning to drive), while he does have adult interests, he also has some childish and unconventional ones, such as bubble blowing, collecting toys and going to the toy shop and superheroâs.
Related to the above point, he can be seen as weirdâ or âoddâ by the rest of Bikini Bottom. Then again, Patrick gets the same treatment.Â
He is often eager to learn and it seems that he excels more in the theory aspect of driving than the physical aspect (which he fails numerous times)
Highly sensitive (cries a lot)
Distraught when something is not as expected in his routine (loosing his badge, Krusty Krab closing, not getting the job as manager, etc) and has somewhat of a rigid schedule.Â
Heâs shown to be highly intelligent and some of his skills are near savant level.Â
He embraces his weirdness and doesnât give a shit as to what others think and is oblivious to comments made of him, although sometimes, heâs not and often sensitive to criticism.
He is also very punctual, arriving on the dot, and is hyper focused when it comes to his job.Â
To hammer the point home, Tom Kenny (the voice of Spongebob) has said that the Sponge is âvaguely autisticâ and that apparently, autistic kids are drawn to the character.Â
I think that all Aspies should aspire to be SpongeBob, honestly.
