Ponies & the Autistic Spectrum

[Zapper]

I don't know a lot about autism other than that every person is different and being on the spectrum can have all sorts of effects not everyone shares. But I always assumed that collecting fandoms would be attractive to people on the spectrum thanks to the sorting/organizing aspects.

That's what I hate about the Internet of today, instead of a quiet refuge to take a break from the real world it has become an extension of it.

This.

My autistic compulsiveness over detail also can't stand that 90% of ID sites now are constructed by googling other people's sites instead of doing the proper research. I only have respect for ID site people who actually know things about what they're writing, as opposed to just copying it off another site and hoping that it's right.

That side of autism is frustrating when it comes to the pony community, because there are still SO MANY mistakes and my little aspie brain cannot stand it.

So much yes. The rise of social media and the legions of desperate people trying to get “internet famous” have really soured my online experience.

When I was growing up, it was pounded into your head to “never give out your real name or location online!”. Now, everyone just takes it for granted that that information will be visible to any random stranger in a FB group. It’s mind-boggling.

Having been belittled two or three times for being wordy in my posts, it really has an impact on confidence when you can't say what you want to say clearly the first time around. I don't think it's always understood how much harder it is to communicate a thought or an idea when you are on the spectrum, even if you understand it 100% perfectly yourself, and it sometimes takes a lot more words to try and get it into something someone else will be able to recognise.  And the more it is 'in vogue' to write one line and do the rest in pics or emojis (or use tl;dr), the more frustrating it is.

I’m so sorry that happened to you, Taffeta.

This especially, I relate to. My posts can be a bit lengthy as well, and I’m very self-conscious about it, to the point of editing and rewriting them to be shorter sometimes.

I like long posts! Reading them as well as writing them myself (hey, I just like writing!)
If people just want to exchange short texts they should use a WhatsApp group

I never thought you guys wordiness was related to autism. I just assumed you were writers. I always like reading your takes!

[Queen Sophie]

Queen Sophie, your mother should have listened to those who knew what they were doing, instead of telling you you don't "have" what you have. I need glasses,  & have done since the age of four. If I tried going about not wearing them, reading would give me the worst headache, even wi large print. There may not be such obvious solutions for the way you are different,  but surely finding the right tools to help is far better than denying a diagnosis. AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Thanks! It is a bit hard when she says I don’t have it and don’t find ways to help cope with it, with the exception of communication problems but sometimes that can be hard as well, for example I often say or do stuff that is rude but I don’t think is rude at all or say that someone got hurt and I don’t say if their ok not because I don’t care, it’s just that my mind naturally thinks I don’t need to and she does get mad which upsets me cause she knows I have these problems and I mean no harm.
But generally she’s just worried how others would treat me if I were under that label.

[Taffeta]

Thank you Zapper

I think I am both. But I may be a writer because I'm autistic. Apparently I used to tell Mum stories before I could write them down, but I learned to read and write really early because I was so captivated by stories. My Mum reckons the only time I was quiet was when someone was reading me a story xD.

The organisational aspects of autism basically passed me by, although my navigational issues suggest a touch of dyspraxia or something else in there too (it's not a classic autistic trait), although I have definitely heard other people say that.

For me it was the sparks of imagination and creative play I think. And the colours. All different colours. I loved that. I have always had a really precise sense for colour, and detail, and a really insanely vivid imagination. That's apparently super common for girls on the spectrum though, so I wonder if that's another factor that marries up autism and ponies.

...Worth noting that most of the things people in the wider world attribute to autism are more classically 'male' than 'female' manifestations.

@Queen Sophie, I can relate to that a bit although my family are fine accepting that I have it. I agree with what others have said, the only stigma is when a parent tries to deny their child has it and thus denies them any form of support or explanation with which they can begin to build their life. Pretending it isn't there doesn't make it go away, and definitely doesn't make life easier.

I don't feel like being autistic is a bad thing, but it does frustrate me how easily negative the world can be about it without even understanding. An article I read recently talked about a conference where a presenter put up a slide of 20 or 30 things that autistic people potentially do better than neurotypicals, but that these things get buried down in academic papers because mostly those want to maintain presenting a negative impression.

That's one nice thing about this place, though. There are a lot of us here and we can share our experiences and by doing so, I hope, we make autism more 'human' to everyone else, rather than listening to the so called 'experts'.

[Nemesis]

I never thought you guys wordiness was related to autism. I just assumed you were writers. I always like reading your takes!

*Hugs* Thanks, Zapper. I’m a writer as well, but like Taffeta said, that may also be tied into autism.

Taffeta, I can relate to a lot of what you’re saying. Creative play was a huge part of what captivated me about MLP and similar toys as a child. I was always drawn to toys I could tell stories with and make up worlds for. If I’m being honest, I think that’s still what draws me to many of my favorite toylines—I never seem to have outgrown that imaginative, playful phase of childhood. For that, I’m grateful to my autism.

I have the organizational tendencies myself, but sadly they never seem to manifest in a tidy house... only an immaculately organized shelf of ponies and toys.

That's one nice thing about this place, though. There are a lot of us here and we can share our experiences and by doing so, I hope, we make autism more 'human' to everyone else, rather than listening to the so called 'experts'.

I agree with this sentiment completely.

[Taffeta]

I never thought you guys wordiness was related to autism. I just assumed you were writers. I always like reading your takes!

*Hugs* Thanks, Zapper. I’m a writer as well, but like Taffeta said, that may also be tied into autism.

Taffeta, I can relate to a lot of what you’re saying. Creative play was a huge part of what captivated me about MLP and similar toys as a child. I was always drawn to toys I could tell stories with and make up worlds for. If I’m being honest, I think that’s still what draws me to many of my favorite toylines—I never seem to have outgrown that imaginative, playful phase of childhood. For that, I’m grateful to my autism.

Yeah, completely agree on all levels. In a weird way autism is actually liberating in the sense of 'growing up'. It's possible to grow up without letting go of the stuff you loved in the past. When I was in London I would be teaching and mentoring undergrads in the week and then hopping on the bus at the weekend to go to the carboot sale or to look for the retro ponies. I'd write a section of my thesis and then write fanfiction or watch anime. I'd hang with friends and discuss adult stuffs, and then I'd come on here and talk ponies. And my friends didn't judge me for it, they just took it for granted. As I mentioned in another thread, earlier this year, before COVID shut down my graduation,my friend in Mumbai sent me a pony chain that I wanted to take to graduate with. I still hope I might do that next year if graduation happens. We'll see. I also used to have discussions with another friend where we'd go from discussing advanced academic theories about our field to discussing anime and MLP - her trying to remember which ponies she had as a kid in Israel - and that was just normal.

It may seem contradictory to people who think autism is being stuck within rigid parameters, but there is actually a lot more freedom in some respects. The problems tend to come when you butt heads with the outside world, but even then, if you can get along in the outside world, that freedom still exists.

I have always been able to do most theoretical things at a frighteningly fast pace - I had the draft submission essay for my thesis written within a month of starting my PhD, when everyone else was still on the planning stages. The balance is that I do most practical things at a frighteningly slow pace and some, like navigation and cooking, are still beyond me. But that's fine. It would be helpful to be able to navigate, but for some reason when there are ponies involved I tend to remember routes a little better

A good example of this is the carboot sale I love so much in London. The last year I was there I had a direct bus, but prior to that I had to catch the tube and then a mainline train and walk from the station. I had no idea where I was going, and I can't read maps, so I googled and wrote down the names of all the roads I would go past in order and then memorised them like a little chant.

And then I'd get the train, and one by one, reel off my list of road names until eventually I got to the carboot field.

If there hadn't been the possibility of ponies at the end of it, would I have bothered? Probably not. Did I find ponies there? Yes, even G1s. Was it worth it? Definitely!

[Primaltimediamond]

I was diagnosed 2 years ago, I got classic autism as they call it in my country. Ponies, I'm not sure, it's just one of those things I grew up, and one of the things I still have to remind myself of simpler times I guess! MLP is like Pokemon and dinosaurs to me, I'll never outgrow it

[Crystal-Sushi]

I was diagnosed with Asperger's at 17-18 as is normal for girls unfortunately, and I've collected MLP since 2004 - well I would've started earlier but I was like 5 and had to wait to get them for my birthday haha.
I've always liked animals more than people, the bright colours and hairplay elements are probably what attracted me, as well as the scented ponies (started right when the Butterfly Island range came out) as I LOVE scented toys! Also big into what Gabumon mentioned earlier, thankyou SO much for finally putting it into words, it's pretty much how I collect to this day - 'variety on a theme'
Toy design has evolved into a huge passion for me because of this, and ideally I'd love it to be my career one day - well that or animation haha.

[Ponybookworm]

Cheers Crystal & Primal for sharing your stories xxx