#autistic data

I wanted to remake an old fanart about Data from Star Trek: The Next generation.

Feel free to reblog, copy the questions, and answer them yourself!

1. When and how did you find out you’re autistic?

2. What made you realize you might be autistic before that?

3. How does your autism show up in your daily life?

4. What kind of stims do you have or enjoy?

5. What are your sensory loves and hates?

6. What’s one thing that instantly causes sensory overload for you?

7. What are your current special interests or hyperfixations?

8. How do your interests make your life better?

9. What does masking look like for you, and when did you start to unmask?

10. What’s something that changed after you started unmasking?

11. What are your biggest autistic strengths?

12. What’s something you still struggle with?

13. What’s one thing you wish allistic (non-autistic) people understood about autism?

14. What helps you calm down or regulate yourself when you’re overstimulated?

15. How do you express comfort, affection, or connection with people you care about?

16. What’s your favorite part of being autistic?

17. How does your autism influence your creativity or the way you see the world?

18. Which fictional characters feel autistically relatable to you?

19. How do you practice self-acceptance and autistic pride?

20. If you could tell your younger self one thing about being autistic, what would it be?

1. When and how did you find out you’re autistic?

I found out earlier this year, around March. I came across the word neurodivergent in connection to myself, and it just stuck. The more I read, the more I realized that many things I experience are autistic traits.

2. First signs that made you think you might be autistic?

Supermarkets and crowded places were always overwhelming. Bright lights, loud noises, and certain textures could be unbearable. Those first made me notice something was different.

3. How does your autism show up in daily life?

I structure my life around it: lots of alone time at home, walks with my dog, short social interactions, working from home. It helps me manage my mental health.

4. Stims I enjoy:

Playing with my hair, beard, eyebrows, fidgeting with fingers, grooming my dog, using weighted stuffed animals, jelly balls, or spiky balls, especially while watching a series or working.

5. Sensory loves and hates:

I love soft things—cozy socks, blankets, pillows, big sweaters. I dislike microfiber, loud or crinkly noises, and worn or uneven textures.

6. What causes sensory overload?

Supermarkets, crowds, neighbors smoking, loud barbecues, or strong smells. I prefer quiet, cold seasons when I can control my environment.

7. Current special interests:

Star Trek: TNG fanfiction, especially Data. My other interests are on pause right now.

8. How interests improve life:

They help me pass time, reduce boredom, lower sensory overwhelm, and improve executive function. They also fuel my imagination.

9. Masking and unmasking:

I change my voice, laugh more, make extra eye contact, hide my stims and interests. Unmasking is easier with neurodivergent clients, harder with others, and still sometimes feels uncomfortable.

10. Changes after unmasking:

More energy and authenticity, less time needed to “remember” myself after social situations.

11. Biggest strengths:

Great memory, detail-oriented, structured thinking, vivid imagination, storytelling ability.

12. Struggles:

Fear of being misunderstood when unmasked, difficulty fully accepting myself, balancing strengths and limitations.

13. What I wish allistic people understood:

Autistic people are diverse. Masking is exhausting and not healthy. Not every autistic person fits stereotypes like the “math genius.”

14. Self-regulation:

Being with my dog or weighted stuffed animal, lavender oil, watching funny series, “safe food” like rice, darkness, silence, and control over my environment.

15. Expressing affection:

Infodumping, doing things for others, being present, emotional support, humor. Rarely saying “I like you” directly.

16. Favorite part of being autistic:

Noticing everything, being highly detail-oriented. It can be overwhelming, but also inspiring and fascinating.

17. How autism shapes creativity/worldview:

Detailed, structured thinking and deep immersion in worlds fuel creativity.

18. Relatable fictional characters:

Data (TNG) and Bob Belcher (Bob’s Burgers). Literal thinking, authenticity, and refusing to compromise values resonate with me.

19. Practicing self-acceptance/pride:

Still learning. Posting on Tumblr about Data and Star Trek helps me embrace my autistic self.

20. Advice to younger self:

this is fucking bad enough in an in-universe sense, where Data is always fucking looked down upon and in need of fixing, but it's even fucking worse because this is literally just how allistic people view and treat autistic people.

Data may as well be the personification of autism, and he gets treated horribly because of it. By his friends, by the writing, and by allistic audience members who continue to insist that he needs to be "Fixed"

Data and Julian meet (canon)

Data and Julian are both neurodivergent coded (I'm calling this canon)

Julian is a doctor so knows about neurodivergence (canon)