darkSpyro

I think there may be a correlation between American children who are hardcore fans of anime, manga, and the subculture, and American children on the autism spectrum.

I'm not a scientist or a psychologist, so I could be off my rocker, but think about it.

Mind explaining why you think this?

Well I heard at an Autism Awareness event that some anime tropes can be highly relatable for children with autism.

Are you saying I have autism because I'm a weeaboo?

This sounds like a hardcore stereotype, but one of those stereotypes that might be a stereotype for a reason. This probably still works if you swap "anime fans" with "bronies".

Naturally there's a "not all fans" argument here, and autism isn't something that bad either.

Quote: Cynderfan507

"All spyro fans are autistic!"

You got that right

Quote: Cynderfan507

"All KH Fans are autistic!"

-----

Quote: HeyitsHotDog

Mind explaining why you think this?

I shall. See below.

Quote: TheFlyingSeal

Well I heard at an Autism Awareness event that some anime tropes can be highly relatable for children with autism.

Yes. Overall, I think it's the storytelling process.

Japanese fiction in general, but especially anime & manga, is heavily reliant on exposition; plot elements and concepts are often so thoroughly described and explained that practically nothing is left to audience's imagination. Typically, autistic children have a difficult time thinking critically or using imagination; they prefer for things to be laid out for them in a manner that is easily understood by simple observation. Therefore, they find themselves engaged easily in anime moreso than Western cartoons and comics.

Moreover, anime tropes often focus on the archetypes of the outcast, the loner, the unpopular one, something autistic children generally relate to well.

Quote: Metallo

I think there may be a correlation between American children who are hardcore fans of anime, manga, and the subculture, and American children on the autism spectrum.

I'm not a scientist or a psychologist, so I could be off my rocker, but think about it.

There is far more correlation between autism and people who ***** about people who like things you don't.

Quote: CAV

This sounds like a hardcore stereotype, but one of those stereotypes that might be a stereotype for a reason. This probably still works if you swap "anime fans" with "bronies".

Naturally there's a "not all fans" argument here, and autism isn't something that bad either.

I never said it was.....


And of course not all fans. This is something I first noticed with people I personally know and did more research on eventually.

Once again, notice I said hardcore fans. I don't think anyone here has reached the extent of which I'm speaking.

Quote: Metallo

Once again, notice I said hardcore fans. I don't think anyone here has reached the extent of which I'm speaking.

You have not seen my room. You have not heard my conversations with friends. Even a couple of my anime loving friends at school jokingly call me a weeaboo.

I have 3 wallscrolls, Japanese figures all over my room, a mousepad of One Piece volume 11's cover art, 3 plushies on my bed. Most of my shirts are Kingdom Hearts or Pokemon. Going to Japan is one of my dreams and you could bet I will damn well visit every anime/manga store I can if I get the chance.

Quote: Seiki

Quote: Metallo

Once again, notice I said hardcore fans. I don't think anyone here has reached the extent of which I'm speaking.

You have not seen my room. You have not heard my conversations with friends. Even a couple of my anime loving friends at school jokingly call me a weeaboo.

I have 3 wallscrolls, Japanese figures all over my room, a mousepad of One Piece volume 11's cover art, 3 plushies on my bed. Most of my shirts are Kingdom Hearts or Pokemon. Going to Japan is one of my dreams and you could bet I will damn well visit every anime/manga store I can if I get the chance.

i dont think you want to be proving this point right now

*Puts on glasses*

Gonna be devils advocate here.

Metallo is simply wondering if there is a correlation between people who have autism and are hardcore anime fans. He's not calling all anime fans autistic, nor is he calling all hardcore anime fans autistic.

if you're not, metallo, then i'm sorry.

Quote: StriderSwag

Quote: Seiki

Quote: Metallo

Once again, notice I said hardcore fans. I don't think anyone here has reached the extent of which I'm speaking.

You have not seen my room. You have not heard my conversations with friends. Even a couple of my anime loving friends at school jokingly call me a weeaboo.

I have 3 wallscrolls, Japanese figures all over my room, a mousepad of One Piece volume 11's cover art, 3 plushies on my bed. Most of my shirts are Kingdom Hearts or Pokemon. Going to Japan is one of my dreams and you could bet I will damn well visit every anime/manga store I can if I get the chance.

i dont think you want to be proving this point right now

I was trying to disprove it as I'm an anime fan who isn't autistic.

Quote: parisruelz12

*Puts on glasses*

Gonna be devils advocate here.

Metallo is simply wondering if there is a correlation between people who have autism and are hardcore anime fans. He's not calling all anime fans autistic, nor is he calling all hardcore anime fans autistic.

if you're not, metallo, then i'm sorry.

The problem is that Metallo is dragging a hell of a lot of baggage through the mud here. Even if they have noble intentions, this is never a topic that comes up in polite conversation.

Quote: QueenChrysalis

Quote: parisruelz12

*Puts on glasses*

Gonna be devils advocate here.

Metallo is simply wondering if there is a correlation between people who have autism and are hardcore anime fans. He's not calling all anime fans autistic, nor is he calling all hardcore anime fans autistic.

if you're not, metallo, then i'm sorry.

The problem is that Metallo is dragging a hell of a lot of baggage through the mud here. Even if they have noble intentions, this is never a topic that comes up in polite conversation.

What, autism?

Quote: parisruelz12

*Puts on glasses*

Gonna be devils advocate here.

Metallo is simply wondering if there is a correlation between people who have autism and are hardcore anime fans. He's not calling all anime fans autistic, nor is he calling all hardcore anime fans autistic.

if you're not, metallo, then i'm sorry.

Yeah, thank you, that's exactly what I'm trying to say. I'm definitely not trying to insult or stigmatize autism, I have good friends who are autistic.


Quote: QueenChrysalis

Quote: parisruelz12

*Puts on glasses*

Gonna be devils advocate here.

Metallo is simply wondering if there is a correlation between people who have autism and are hardcore anime fans. He's not calling all anime fans autistic, nor is he calling all hardcore anime fans autistic.

if you're not, metallo, then i'm sorry.

The problem is that Metallo is dragging a hell of a lot of baggage through the mud here. Even if they have noble intentions, this is never a topic that comes up in polite conversation.

What? I'm sorry, but you worded that post very awkwardly; it's difficult to understand what point, if any, you're trying to make.


Quote: Seiki

Quote: StriderSwag

Quote: Seiki

You have not seen my room. You have not heard my conversations with friends. Even a couple of my anime loving friends at school jokingly call me a weeaboo.

I have 3 wallscrolls, Japanese figures all over my room, a mousepad of One Piece volume 11's cover art, 3 plushies on my bed. Most of my shirts are Kingdom Hearts or Pokemon. Going to Japan is one of my dreams and you could bet I will damn well visit every anime/manga store I can if I get the chance.

i dont think you want to be proving this point right now

I was trying to disprove it as I'm an anime fan who isn't autistic.

Dude, absolutely nowhere did I say that all anime fans are autistic, nor vice versa. I'm sorry if you interpreted it that way.

Quote: Metallo

Quote: CAV

This sounds like a hardcore stereotype, but one of those stereotypes that might be a stereotype for a reason. This probably still works if you swap "anime fans" with "bronies".

Naturally there's a "not all fans" argument here, and autism isn't something that bad either.

I never said it was.....


And of course not all fans. This is something I first noticed with people I personally know and did more research on eventually.

Never said you said it was.

Mostly throwing it out there just so people don't flip out on those who try to discuss it, thinking we're saying autism is something to be ashamed of.

If you're really that curious about it you could, y'know, search a database of scientific literature for published papers on the concept and present those as empirical evidence. Otherwise, you kind of sound like an anti-vaccer ("Vaccines cause autism!") throwing out such a wild claim just based on "I noticed this with people I know and did some research."

Oh wait, those cost money unless you're at a university that subscribes to them. >.>

EDIT: Also, everyone here needs to bear in mind that autism is now a spectrum of related neurodevelopmental disorders. What Metallo is postulating could really only apply to the higher functioning end of the spectrum. Since those who are lower functioning (or also have mild intellectual disability as a result of ASD) will not really be able to understand the media period, even with a parent's help.

You guys probably know that, but the majority of people on this forum seems to gloss over the lower functioning side of ASD because, I dunno, they shouldn't be/aren't on the internet? ;>.>

Quote: TheJMAN184

I wonder if this will get mm? It did the last time.

There.

I am autistic and I find this autisive

As someone who has worked in a special needs school where autism is one of the most common disabilities, and the range of kids I worked with who have autism was from about 4 years of age to 18 years of age, and I have worked with both the lower functioning and higher functioning side, I have to strongly disagree. I know it may not be the intention, but this just seems like a baseless stereotype based on my experience.

The only possible correlation you could make, is that someone with autism may be more likely to discover anime and thus find enjoyment in it, as they are more likely to be reclusive and spend a lot of time alone on the internet or looking through DVDs in a store. However, this isn't an anime specific thing more so than it is something that applies to any art form or medium. Same could be said for the online culture and community, because they likely take to internet forums to help them socialise.

Also you are going to have to define what a hardcore fan is too, as that's a vague term that can mean different things to different people.

Also...

Quote:

Japanese fiction in general, but especially anime & manga, is heavily reliant on exposition; plot elements and concepts are often so thoroughly described and explained that practically nothing is left to audience's imagination. Typically, autistic children have a difficult time thinking critically or using imagination; they prefer for things to be laid out for them in a manner that is easily understood by simple observation. Therefore, they find themselves engaged easily in anime moreso than Western cartoons and comics.

There are two problems here:

1) What anime are you watching? Because 90% of the genre does not actually do this. The exposition part maybe, but the "doesn't leave anything to the imagination" part, definitely not. So many anime are filled with plotholes or don't even care for continuity (much like many Western cartoons), that this isn't really a true observation of the genre.

2) Heavy, convoluted exposition wouldn't be ideal for a lot of autistic children. Western cartoons are actually more accessible for them, particularly the likes of super hero stuff like Marvel, DC, and Ben 10. This is because they have stories and cohesion and stuff, but compared to anime, which often gets convoluted and non-sensical, it's more grounded in it's story telling and easier to follow. On the contrary, a lot of Japanese stories use very abstract concepts that require meticulous explanation to understand or a willing suspension of disbelief, the latter being something that can be difficult even for the people on the higher functioning end of the spectrum.

I think Metallo just meant that there could be a correlation between people with disorders on the spectrum and the obsession that a lot of people have over anime and manga and the like.
It didn't sound like he was saying those things were exclusive to each other, but a lot of anime fans are obsessive and a lot of people on the spectrum have obsessive personalities.

This also extends to a lot of things, not just anime. My friend has a little brother with autism and he has a strong obsession over Gravity Falls. It's just a personality trait that a lot of people with autism have, but there's nothing wrong with it and that's not what Metallo was implying.

Quote: Bumblebunnii

I think Metallo just meant that there could be a correlation between people with disorders on the spectrum and the obsession that a lot of people have over anime and manga and the like.
It didn't sound like he was saying those things were exclusive to each other, but a lot of anime fans are obsessive and a lot of people on the spectrum have obsessive personalities.

This also extends to a lot of things, not just anime. My friend has a little brother with autism and he has a strong obsession over Gravity Falls. It's just a personality trait that a lot of people with autism have, but there's nothing wrong with it and that's not what Metallo was implying.

yeah pretty much this.

Quote: Bumblebunnii

I think Metallo just meant that there could be a correlation between people with disorders on the spectrum and the obsession that a lot of people have over anime and manga and the like.
It didn't sound like he was saying those things were exclusive to each other, but a lot of anime fans are obsessive and a lot of people on the spectrum have obsessive personalities.

This also extends to a lot of things, not just anime. My friend has a little brother with autism and he has a strong obsession over Gravity Falls. It's just a personality trait that a lot of people with autism have, but there's nothing wrong with it and that's not what Metallo was implying.

There really isn't a correlation though.

An autistic person who likes anime isn't more likely to be obsessive over it (obsession is another word that is thrown around a lot without people realising what it really means). The obsessive tendencies of an autistic person are more to do with them wanting things to stay a certain way, than it has to do with getting hooked on something. That's why meeting new people can be difficult, because a new person can change their life, even if only slightly.

Oh wait, and I totally forgot to bring this up earlier, so I may as well throw this in. Ahem...



What this generalization that OP is attempting to make seems to be forgetting is one of the key diagnostic criterion of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which is as follows:

Quote: Diagnostic & Statistical Manual, 5th Edition

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):
1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypes, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).

2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day).

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).

4. Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g. apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html

More conventionally, this could be interpreted as ASD patients are more likely to develop an "obsession" of sorts with a particular thing. With this in mind, one could easily apply such a generalization to, well, any subject. Hence, you need scientific literature to back this one up.

Okay, I'm going to address pretty much everything everyone above me said.

Honestly, I just post to share my thoughts on whatever's in my head at the moment. I've completely stopped thinking (and caring) about how people will react. Hell, I don't even remember making half the topics I do nowadays.

I also want to say thanks to sonicbrawler and HIR, it was nice to get a perspective from people who know a crapton more about it than I do (let me remind all of you that I said in the very first post that I wasn't in the least bit sure of what I was saying)

Quote: Samius

Quote: Metallo

Okay, I'm going to address pretty much everything everyone above me said.

Honestly, I just post to share my thoughts on whatever's in my head at the moment. I've completely stopped thinking (and caring) about how people will react. Hell, I don't even remember making half the topics I do nowadays.

I also want to say thanks to sonicbrawler and HIR, it was nice to get a perspective from people who know a crapton more about it than I do (let me remind all of you that I said in the very first post that I wasn't in the least bit sure of what I was saying)

If that's really how it is then that takes the intent out of it. I'm considerably more okay with that, but you're always walking on a slippery slope when you talk about subjects such as this one.

I'm not opposed to discussion in any way, but I wouldn't want to see loads of people flip out over a figure of speech.

Yeah, I can see that. I'm still testing out what's appropriate and what's not and honestly, it seems to vary over time. Users come and go, and some of them are more sensitive than others. I guess I just need to adapt.

My only suggestion for the future is if you're gonna state what you know is a controversial thought or something you think sounds ridiculous yourself (you said yourself that "I may just be off my rocker"), at least provide some kind of genuine reason why you think that way in the original post.

You didn't do that in the OP here, and even flat out admitted that you didn't really know what you are talking about, so that could give people the impression you're just dissing autistic people/anime fans for the sake of it.

Quote: Cynderfan507

"All FNaF kids are autistic!"

well said my friend