Fictional Characters Who Could Potentially Be Aspies (*coughs*Batman*cough*)

Frank Burns from M*A*S*H (tv). He was stuck in his routines, his social abilities were lacking, he was obsessive . . .

Also, the Riddler; especially in regards to Batman: The Animated Series. He uses multi-syllabic words, is really smart, good with word puns/riddles, computer smart (I know that’s not necessarily part of it, but it is sometimes); plus, has a hard time relating to others.

Same goes for The Clock King (you want schedules and routines, whooee), and The Penguin (bird obsession anyone?).

But I think the same can also be said for Batman himself.

Another person’s thoughts.

Truthfully, think about it.

Batman watches people; he studies people and their motives. He doesn’t like change; doesn’t like any difference in his schedule. He’s quiet to the point of being anti-social; yet look at Robin and Oracle and all of them; he still needs them, but he can’t figure out a good way to tell them that. When he looks at you, he stares, he doesn’t just look. He focuses in on you, studying you.

He also remembers everything. He remembers random facts about train schedules that no one else knows off the top of their heads (except perhaps another aspie). He knows people’s names, birth dates, hobbies. And he doesn’t even really have to work at remembering those things; he just does.

And if you’ve ever read anything about what Robin and company think about him in times of stress, then you also know that he has been called inflexible, unfeeling, cold, distant . . . He stands stiffly and never seems to comfortable in his own skin.

He’s obsessed with villains; obsessed with martial arts and all things that have to do with non-lethal weaponry. He’s good with chemistry, with math, computers . . . He pursues his role as Batman with a single-minded consistency that is rarely seen in others.

When he’s uber stressed, his ability to display and use social skills pretty much shuts down. I mean, Batman grunts a lot; ever wonder why? When he does speak, it’s often very formal, very precise.

He’s really smart; more so than most people. People who know him often just don’t “get” him.

And when has Batman ever seemed to get or go along with something humorous??? And you should know that he’s prone to bouts of depression . . . self-doubt. Plus he worries incessantly about his “kids.” He’s definitely OCD – always checking his scanner, his city, reports from Oracle. He obsesses about the city, Robin (whatever permutation) and Nightwing.

He is highly skilled with figuring out puzzles. He understands patterns better than anyone else. He sees the details that no one else does.

And then I made a list . . .

-Perseveration (to train, to hold a promise for so many years)
-Photographic memory
-Difficulty in correcting someone w/o seeming harsh
-Sometimes withdrawn
-Difficulty sleeping
-Sarcastic, negative
-low to no participation in groups
-great concern about personal working area
-problems addressing others due to issues with trust
-intense concern for privacy
-difficulty working as a “team”
-low to no sense of humor
-lacking ability to greet others in a warm and friendly manner
-perfectionist
-Interrupting in the middle of conversations
-Extreme reaction to change in routine
-Repetitive behavior
-Certain preferences of personal items (like clothes . . . bat suits . . .)
-very verbal, blunt
-Difficulty hiding true emotions like sadness/anger
-lacking ability to relax from activities
-no interest in tasks that doesn’t draw personal interest
-Almost always totally serious
-Quick tempered
-Fixating on really bad/good experiences
-Limits oneself with pursued interests, without exploring other venues
-Difficulty expressing emotion
-need for finishing one task before starting another
-Difficulty with negotiation
-mental shutdown/total burst of anger when pinned in corner
-Difficulty talking to co-workers as “pals”
-thinking on a “one track mind” type basis
-impairment or total absence of quality social skills such as interaction (like leaving at end of conversations w/o saying goodbye)

It’s safe to say that I’ve thought about this a fair amount.