Hello I saw your tag on the post about autistic Hotch so this is me very politely demanding you elaborate when you have the time and energy to do so <3
(Just a reminder that it's only my headcanon and if anyone disagrees, that's fine! We all have different interpretations of characters and that's what makes fandom so great.)
Thanks for asking!
Fair warning, this is probably going to end up quite long because I have Feelings about it. This isn't even really the headcanon itself as much as my reasoning for it!
I can separate my thoughts about it into two main categories: why I like it as a headcanon and the evidence behind it.
In terms of evidence, I can identify (and identify with) quite a few symptoms of ASD and I'll probably end up making that a separate and more detailed post, but the ones which stand out the most are:
Blunted affect - this refers to expressing emotion through facial expressions, body language, and speech (usually tone). This is common in autistic people and we often fall on both ends of this symptom and express emotions in ways that are perceived as under- or over-reacting. I can see this a lot in Hotch. In particular, his tone stays pretty constant and a little flat, and when it comes to body language and facial expression he under-emotes by neurotypical standards, often appearing neutral/cold.
Eye contact - this one is hard to put into words and I'll see if I can find a GIF for it, but he seems to have a pattern when it comes to eye contact: he'll maintain it for some time, look down/away, then back up. Breaking eye contact isn't unusual in itself but it's the very similar way each time that stands out to me and suggests eye contact doesn't come very naturally.
Can be very blunt - whilst he isn't as awkward as Reid, Hotch can still be pretty blunt (i.e. "So why hasn't he killed himself?" or immediately talking about victimology after being told Garcia didn't want to be called a victim). His general manner of speaking is direct and usually straightforwards.
Again, these are just off the top of my head and I can go more in-depth (feel free to send me asks/messages! Not even about this particular. I just like hearing from people) about other things I've picked up on.
As for why I like it:
Autistic and autistic-coded characters are overwhelmingly cis white boys diagnosed at a young age - savant super skill optional. Think BBC Sherlock, Sheldon Cooper, Shaun Murphy, and yes, Spencer Reid.
And the reality is, most of us aren't. AFAB people, people of colour, and especially women of colour are underdiagnosed/misdiagnosed due to that very stereotype and autism research having been based around young boys. There's nothing inherently bad about being cis/white/male or young when you were diagnosed, but the media very rarely acknowledges that there are other ways to be autistic.
(Yes, I know Hotch is still most of that)
As an autistic person, I was diagnosed at 17 - late enough for me to look back on things and go oh. Long enough for me to learn how to mask: hiding my autistic traits and imitate my neurotypical peers as best I could.
So in Criminal Minds, although Reid displays more visible traits and mannerisms usually considered autistic (there's no one way to 'look' autistic), I related much more to Hotch as an autistic person diagnosed late.
Because I've been told I'm able to "shut off" my emotions at times; I don't display much emotion around people I'm not close to; I struggle with keeping and maintaining close relationships when I have too many. If I stim in public it is small and/or subtle enough it appears normal. I mask.
Then you look at Hotch, who comes off as distant and sometimes cold, whose reaction to emotion is mainly internal but cares deeply about his team and his family, who is honestly one of the few TV characters I can honestly relate to.
He checks off no small number of autistic traits.
So yeah, autistic Hotch means a lot to me.
And this is barely scratching the surface of the headcanons I have about it - these are just the reasons why! But that's for another post which you can feel free to talk to me about :)
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Hi I’m about to sound so British (eww, I do not want to be associated with them when they don’t want me but anyways—)
What the fuck is the SAT?
sumayyah you’re so lucky for not knowing what that is a part of me doesn’t want to ruin it:(((
but the sat is this college admissions test hosted by a company called college board(who also do tests for the advanced placement classes) and it’s a 3.5 hour test, with 2 ten minute breaks, consisting of math, english, and grammar. you get a math score and a reading score, which add up to give you your total, which is out of 1600. super stressful and costs money but pretty much every college asks for it. sometimes you can opt to not turn your score in but most people take it
An advice to Sisters to remain steadfast upon the Sunnah and Salafiyyah
ARTICLE: An advice to Sisters to remain steadfast upon the Sunnah and Salafiyyah:
Part A: In this short discussion [1] that we have before us, we will take it as a reminder and an encouragement for our sisters with regard to holding on to the Truth, the Sunnah, and the way of the Salafus-Saalih (the earlier righteous generations) – and to beware of straying away from that . We find year after year, and nearly two and a half decades, rather close to three decades have passed…
Okay I don’t think he implies he’s oppressed but he does make a stupid comparison linked to culture and he knows as he’s saying it he’s fucking up and then she snaps and then he also apologises later and they have a little conversation about disappointing their parents (I think…)
i will await to make any judgement because i have faith in your writing ( i read your hotch fics and cried over them before we ever interacted) but i also just don’t really do white men i find so many of them funky 😐 nothing personal it’s just not a lifestyle i support
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Grace I’m just thinking about Morgan being a total romantic and buying flowers, chocolates, bears etc and Hotch just getting so flustered because he’s the unit chief but the bear smells like Derek
I just know that Derek would go out of his way to treat Hotch, because not only is it in his nature to be that chivalrous, ‘hold the door open whenever we go somewhere get you flowers each date’ type guy but he also knows Hotch was never cared for that way and he wants to do it for him. and Hotch would like it cause who can resist Derek really?
Hello yes sooo what’s the morcia- Haley rewrite thingy and also I cannot bear witness(we are reaching the inevitable end) sounds absolutely soul destroying and reminds me of hotch and haley
thank you sumayyah!! i love talking about wips
so the morcia- haley rewrite is based off of this headcanon @morcias has that i really loved but i don’t know if i’ll finish because she already wrote it so freaking well(i say this knowing i still need to read it😔). here’s a snippet:
‘ “I wasn’t ready when we first met.”
“God was I so far from ready. Penelope, she’s just,” Derek settles on the damp grass, two bouquets of Lilies in his hands, “She’s everything I never thought I would get, that I deserved.” ‘
and the second wip is a hotch-centric fic set after haley’s death, where Hotch thinks of getting her erased from his memory. It’s inspired by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I wrote something following the same prompt(-ish) with JJ over here! It’s pretty depressing but one of my favorite wips. here’s two snippets because it’s hotch:
“Rewinding their old cassette tapes to hear her voice singing, a low murmur he was enthralled by, despite her adamance that she sounded bad. And when he closes his eyes just right as she hits the chorus, he can almost pretend that they’re back in bed together, her hands running through his dark hair after a rough case. The type that brought him back to the bad days.”
and
“He gets the heart-wrenching sorrow of raising their Jack on his own, of passing the sleepy cemetery every single day on his way to work, the utter pleasure of visiting the fresh grave planted, Haley Brooks Hotchner engraved in the rock.”
