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1Clusters of traits found together in one character may lead audiences to armchair diagnose that character with a real-life disorder sharing those traits, regardless of the creator's intentions. In response, a creator confirms outside of the work that they intend for their character to have a real-life disorder, whether one categorized as mental (like depression), neurological (like autism), or physical (like a traumatic brain injury); alternatively, they deny it. These statements can be made for many reasons, such as stopping characters from being DiagnosedByTheAudience (and if it's creator-confirmed, it no longer applies for that) or clarifying their setting lacks an in-universe equivalent for the definitions and treatment of the out-of-universe disorder.
2
3HollywoodPsych may apply. Creators often ''believe'' they're depicting a disorder, but base their depiction on outdated or incomplete understanding. Some creators do have experience with diagnosing real people, but even within the various fields trained in diagnostic techniques and treatment, people disagree about what defines any given disorder and the criteria gets revised.
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5See also: WordOfGay (similar trope), WordOfGod (supertrope), AutismInMedia (index with examples that may have been confirmed outside of the work or not). This does not have to be used to know someone is a MadGod, but a character who is a god can be an example of this trope if the creator says so.
6----
7!!Examples:
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9[[foldercontrol]]
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11[[folder:Comic Books]]
12* Creator/DCComics: Creator/TeeFranklin has [[https://twitter.com/MizTeeFranklin/status/1685331483098013696 stated]] that she wrote Poison Ivy as autistic, but does not believe DC would approve of this being mentioned in-universe.
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15[[folder:Fan Works]]
16* In ''Fanfic/BreathersForApplejack'', Twilight Sparkle displays several traits of obsessive-compulsive disorder, even beyond her fixation on keeping things organized in the original show. She tends to jump to pessimistic conclusions, obsessively thinks about things that stress her out, and has the compulsive tic of chewing on her hoof-tips when she's nervous or thinking. It's never directly stated in the story, but in a reply to reader comments, the author confirmed he wrote Twilight as someone with OCD. In fact, [[WriteWhatYouKnow he has OCD himself, and based his version of Twilight on his own experience]].
17* ''Fanfic/LetUsBeYourPoison'': Pyrrha Nikos has been confirmed by the story's author to be on the autism spectrum. She has difficulty socializing with other people but doesn't tell anyone because she fears they will treat her differently.
18* ''Fanfic/NarniaVerseSeries'': The Author's Note of ''Revolution Part 1: Inferno'' reveals that David is diagnosed with autism (ASD), anxiety (GAD), and depression (MDD).
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21[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
22* In the director's commentary for ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'', the creators confirmed that [[BigBad Syndrome]] had schizophrenia.
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25[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
26* ''Film/{{Cooties}}'': Co-screenwriter and actor Leigh Whannell stated in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Q1kl90ZEo&t=935s an interview]] that he believes Doug Davis has Asperger's, to which Creator/ElijahWood immediately concurs.
27* ''Film/FatalAttraction'': In a WordOfSaintPaul example, Creator/GlennClose stated that she regards Alex Forrest as having borderline personality disorder. In fact, she has expressed interest in the film being remade from her point of view, and that with better understanding of mental illness nowadays, "she would not be seen as the villain".
28* ''Film/FantasticBeasts'' has a [[WordOfSaintPaul Diagnosis of Saint Paul]], with Creator/EddieRedmayne stating his character Newt Scamander has Asperger's syndrome and he portrays him as such, but due to autism spectrum disorders not being recognized at the time the series is set, there is no official diagnosis.
29* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: Creator/JossWhedon stated in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyXwrtm3q3o&t=60s the commentary track]] for ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' that he views [[Characters/MCUTonyStark Tony Stark/Iron Man]] as having Asperger's.
30* ''Film/{{Mimic}}'': Chuy is depicted as developmentally disabled, but his condition is only specified to be autism in an interview with director Creator/GuillermoDelToro.
31* For ''Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood'', Creator/QuentinTarantino told Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio to play Rick Dalton as having bipolar disorder that he self-medicates with alcohol. This was inspired by actor Peter Duel.
32* Creator/OliviaHussey felt that Norma Bates in ''Film/PsychoIVTheBeginning'' had bipolar disorder, and she took inspiration from Christopher Jones, with whom she'd been in an abusive relationship, and she suspected he'd had it (though he was never diagnosed). Ironically, she had been offered the role of Alex in ''Fatal Attraction'', mentioned above.
33* Creator/TommyWiseau has helpfully clarified that, yes, Denny of ''Film/TheRoom2003'' ''does'' have some sort of mental disorder, a detail that makes many of his scenes make more sense. According to Wiseau, Denny is "retarded, a little bit". It should be noted that he did ''not'' explain this to Philip Haldiman, who played Denny.
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36[[folder:Literature]]
37* In ''Literature/CharmedLife'' and ''Literature/ThePinhoeEgg'', Cat Chant's social difficulties, tendency to get stuck on small details when stressed, his low stress threshold in general, his trouble reading others' emotions, and his frightened resistance to change all suggest he be autistic. Given the setting it's never fully clarified in-universe, but Creator/DianaWynneJones has said in interviews that he is on the spectrum.
38* While descriptions of ''Literature/TheCuriousIncidentOfTheDogInTheNightTime'' often describe Christopher as having Asperger's syndrome, author Mark Haddon has stated that he went out of his way to make sure Christopher wasn't described as having any specific disorder and that he did more research on the London Underground than he did on autism.
39* ''Literature/TheEmpyrean'': While Violet's medical condition isn't named in the text due to the low-tech fantasy setting, Rebecca Yarros has [[https://youngentertainmentmag.com/yem-author-interview-rebecca-yarros-chats-about-inspiration-behind-her-book-fourth-wing/ stated]] that Violet is intended to have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which both Yarros and her sons also have.
40* ''Literature/GeekGirl'' author Holly Smale was diagnosed with autism and dyspraxia after the series concluded and has retroactively described Harriet Manners as having both conditions as well, though she was not intentionally written as having either.
41* ''Literature/OrigamiYoda'': Dwight and Harvey are both confirmed to have Asperger's syndrome, [[WriteWhatYouKnow which author Tom Angleberger has himself]], making them more similar. It's never said that either of them have Asperger's in-universe, and in fact Angleberger has actually stated that Dwight is undiagnosed, but in hindsight, the girls in Tippett Academy may have had a point in calling him "special". Dwight also has several of the characteristics, such as [[HatesBeingTouched an aversion to physical contact]] and [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} being eccentric]].
42* In ''Literature/SixOfCrows'', Kaz Brekker has touch aversion and specific triggers that stem from a traumatic incident during his childhood. Author Leigh Bardugo confirmed in [[https://disabilityinkidlit.com/2016/03/26/interview-with-leigh-bardugo-about-six-of-crows/ an interview with Disability in Kidlit]] that he has PTSD.
43* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': BadassBookworm Renarin Kholin shows some behaviours that are consistent with someone on the autism spectrum, like stimming with a metal box. After the release of the first book, Creator/BrandonSanderson [[https://wob.coppermind.net/events/227-rithmatist-denver-signing/#e7099 confirmed]] that he's on the spectrum.
44* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', Moth Flight is often easily distracted even though she tries hard to focus on things. A fan pointed out that her behaviors were very similar to someone with ADHD, and author [[Creator/ErinHunter Kate]] replied that she hadn't thought of it before, but that Moth Flight "[[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/warriors/images/7/75/Moth_Flight_ADD.screenshot.png definitely has ADD]]."
45* ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'': Lady Steris has NoSocialSkills by her own admission, [[CrazyPrepared exhaustively prepares for]] social encounters, and loves to memorize facts and [[ObsessedAreTheListmakers lists]]. Creator/BrandonSanderson [[https://wob.coppermind.net/events/72-shadows-of-self-san-diego-signing/#e5714 confirmed]] that she's on the autism spectrum.
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48[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
49* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' has Sheldon Cooper, a highly intelligent theoretical physicist who's also interested in typical geek stuff like comic books with his circle of friends, but he's socially unskilled and narcissistic to the point where he tends to annoy even them, has hypersensitive hearing (which he refers to as Vulcan hearing), eidetic memory, and has highly specific rules and tics he needs to follow, like certain hours for the bathroom or knocking three times.[[note]]The knocking gets an explanation; because of an incident when he was younger, he now knocks several times to allow anybody in the room a chance to get their pants on.[[/note]] The creators have stated that Sheldon does ''not'' have any specific disorder; rather, they kept his disorder ambiguous due to the RuleOfFunny, in that they can have him react any way they want him to in a given episode without being tied down to having to follow the behavior of a specific condition (though this is contradicted by the episode "The Application Deterioration", in which Sheldon claims to have obsessive-compulsive disorder).
50* Creator/VinceGilligan described Walter White and Todd of ''Series/BreakingBad'' as sociopaths, although he uses the term very loosely.
51* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': The shooting scripts mention Jimmy [=McGill=]'s PTSD multiple times, and Peter Gould has discussed how the character has some dissociative tendencies going on.
52* ''Series/TheBridgeUS'': Just what is up with Sonya isn't specified, but it appears to be UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome-style autism. WordOfGod, however, states that it is Asperger's, and the actress even has Alex Plank (creator of autism community website Wrong Planet, and someone who has Asperger's himself) as her advisor. Though the creator of the original ''Series/TheBridge2011'' denied Saga (viewed as a popular portrayal of a woman with Asperger's) had autism or Asperger's and was in fact "just Saga."
53* ''[[Series/TheChosenTVSeries The Chosen]]'': Matthew is confirmed by series creator Dallas Jenkins to have Asperger syndrome. Given that the series is set in biblical times, this will never be discussed in-universe.
54* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Then-showrunner Creator/StevenMoffat stated in [[https://www.metro.us/the-hero-who-runs-away-steven-moffat-on-doctor-who/ an interview]] that the Twelfth Doctor has ADHD. The closest this comes to being confirmed in-universe is in the ninth season prologue "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35PrequelTheDoctorsMeditation The Doctor's Meditation]]", in which the Doctor himself states "[Clara] keeps telling me I've got ... attention deficit... ah ... something or other."
55* ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'': Creator/BryanFuller [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/04/hannibal-how-bryan-fuller-approached-the-iconic-character-and-why-clarice-starling-cant-appear-red-dragon-the-silence-of-the-lambs%3famp=1 states]] that his version of Hannibal Lecter (played by Creator/MadsMikkelsen) is ''not'' a psychopath; although he certainly displays psychopathic traits (sadism, manipulation of others, and of the course the whole "killing and eating people" thing) he's not a "true" psychopath in the sense that he can experience genuine empathy, regret, and deep emotion, particularly when it comes to his relationships with others, and he strongly desires companionship. [[WordOfSaintPaul Mads Mikkelsen]] has [[https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a592671/mads-mikkelsen-hannibal-lecter-is-not-a-psychopath-in-the-classic-sense/ stated]] he plays Hannibal more like a twisted fallen angel with a [[BlueAndOrangeMorality bizarre sense of right and wrong]], which closely matches Fuller's own views.
56* ''Series/LazyTown'': In a Diagnosis of Saint Paul example, Stefán Karl Stefánsson stated in a [[https://officiallazytown.tumblr.com/post/159348875105/can-you-please-give-us-a-link-to-the-interview 2009 interview]] that Robbie Rotten has ADHD, OCD and Tourette's. [[DisabledCharacterDisabledActor Stefán had all three conditions himself,]] but said he was better than Robbie at managing his symptoms.
57* Parker from ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' has Asperger syndrome, but this was only confirmed by the writers and presented as an ambiguous disorder in the show itself.
58* The British remake of ''Series/ProfessorT'' has a Diagnosis of Saint Paul example. The title character, Jasper Tempest, is explicitly portrayed as having OCD, like in the original Belgian series, but actor Ben Miller has claimed in at least [[https://www.whattowatch.com/features/professor-t-star-ben-miller-i-was-born-to-play-this-part two]] [[https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20210801118611/ben-miller-teases-major-professor-t-plot-twists/ interviews]] that Jasper is also autistic.
59* Creator/BenedictCumberbatch has said in [[http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s129/sherlock/interviews/a355975/sherlock-benedict-cumberbatch-qa-i-want-this-character-to-evolve.html DigitalSpy]] that he played Series/{{Sherlock}} so that he can be read as either sociopathic, autistic, or both. Creator/StevenMoffat, on the other hand, has said that Sherlock is "[[https://www.vulture.com/2014/01/steven-moffat-sherlock-holmes-best-man-speech-interview.html not a sociopath, nor is he high-functioning. He’d really like to be a sociopath. But he’s so fucking not.]]"
60* Creator/KateMulgrew got so fed up with how inconsistently Janeway was written on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' that she decided that her character had bipolar disorder.
61* ''Series/{{Succession}}'': Alan Ruck claims he believes his character Connor Roy suffers from ADHD as well as some unspecified "delusion disorder" but has remained undiagnosed due to his family's heavy stigma on mental health.
62* Hart Hanson the showrunner for ''Series/{{Bones}}'' [[https://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/2010/02/how_tv_shows_try_or_choose_not.html has said]] that whilst Season 8 implied Temperance "Bones" Brennan's quirks were due to her [[FreudianExcuse strained relationship with her mother]] he actually based her characterization (which is quite different to the one she has in the book series she show is based on) on a friend of his who has Aspergers, but that Fox wouldn't let them "label" her on-air.
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65[[folder:Video Games]]
66* ''VideoGame/ApexLegends'': Wattson, one of the playable Legends, was [[https://twitter.com/tommiecas/status/1278056806195945474 confirmed to be autistic]] by former writer Tom Casiello.
67* Brigid Tennenbaum of ''VideoGame/BioShock'' has been confirmed to have been [[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/04/09/conflict-in-utopia-how-relationships-are-at-the-heart-of-ken-levine-s-new-game.aspx autistic]].
68* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline'': Ja-Reet and the Drake of Blades [[https://en.uesp.net/wiki/General:Matt_Firor_%26_Rich_Lambert_Summerset_Interview have been confirmed to be autistic in an interview with the developers]].
69* ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'': According to Phantom Arcade during a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RnAS1fEQrk livestream]], Boyfriend and Girlfriend both have ADHD and are autistic.
70* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' writer Odin "[=WAAARGHbobo=]" Shafer -- when pressed by a fan about whether or not Rakan had some form of ADHD based on [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny his scattershot attention span]] -- accepted the idea that he was. Shafer claimed that he didn't intentionally create Rakan as a character with ADHD in mind, but [[WriteWhatYouKnow he did take direct inspiration from people he knew with ADD and other manic-depressive disorders to make his personality]], so it was plausible that Rakan also shares in some sort of attention deficit.
71* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'': Following much fan speculation, both game director Jeff Kaplan and lead writer Michael Chu confirmed that Symmetra is autistic. This came after a tie-in comic has Symmetra refer to herself as being "on the spectrum", albeit without using the concrete A-word.
72* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': [[WordOfSaintPaul Diagnosis of Saint Paul]] example. Futaba Sakura has poor social skills, tends to be InnocentlyInsensitive, has odd body language and mannerisms, is a little immature for her age, and is easily bored by subjects that don't pertain to her interests, leading some to believe she's on the autism spectrum. Creator/EricaLindbeck, Futaba's voice actress, [[https://samrowett.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/how-persona-5-got-autism-right-without-really-talking-about-it/ also believes this and played her as such.]]
73* On the 10th anniversary of ''VideoGame/ToTheMoon'', Kan Gao [[https://twitter.com/reives_freebird/status/1669751016584097794 made a Twitter thread]] explaining why it's not explicitly stated in the game that River is autistic. He wanted to [[ShowDontTell show it through her actions]] rather than just telling about them, and also encourage the players to look up her condition so they can be properly educated on it.
74* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': A tweet by [[https://twitter.com/rebbford/status/880308573137448961 the game's Live Operations & Community Producer]] has confirmed that Rell is autistic coded.
75* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' has conflicting FlipFlopOfGod on Ayano Aishi’s mental condition. WordOfGod from [=YandereDev=] holds that whatever form of insanity she could be diagnosed with is a fictional one, while WordOfSaintPaul from her voice actress Michaela Laws says her portrayal is meant to depict her with Obsessive Love Disorder.
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78[[folder:Visual Novels]]
79* Nagito Komaeda, in ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'', lacks proper social awareness and comes across as off-putting to his classmates, even when he's sincerely trying to be polite. He also has an intense fixation on hope that drives him to extreme lengths to see a 'strong hope'. On top of that, he is unable to fully relate to others and is entirely unsympathetic and antagonistic towards anyone he believes insults hope. He eventually tells Hajime he suffers from frontotemporal dementia before suggesting he was lying for sympathy. Extra materials confirm he does indeed have this condition, which explains a lot of his strange behavior given that he displays numerous symptoms.
80* ''VisualNovel/OurLifeBeginningsAndAlways'': Cove Holden has [[https://gb-patch.tumblr.com/post/640609557256847360/ask-answers-january-17th-2021-part-2 undiagnosed autism]], confirmed by the creators, and then later added to the game's epilogue.
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83[[folder:Web Animation]]
84* ''WebAnimation/InanimateInsanity'': [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/inanimateinsanity/images/e/e0/Soap_is_OCD_Confirmed.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20180302123646 In a July 2nd, 2016 AMA on DeviantArt,]] Soap has been confirmed as having OCD, while Suitcase has conversely been denied as having Aspergers, though that doesn't stop the latter from having a different disorder due to her strong hallucinations.
85* ''WebAnimation/{{Underverse}}'': After [[EpilepticTrees a number of theories]] regarding Ink's mental health and possible disorders, including one fan who complained that the character was demonizing autistic people, series creator Jakei stated that Ink was not characterized with any kind of mental disorder in mind. Instead, due to coming from another dimension and lacking a soul, such terms cannot be applied to him, thus putting him in BlueAndOrangeMorality instead.
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88[[folder:Webcomics]]
89* Dina Saruyama from ''Webcomic/DumbingOfAge'' was retconned as having undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome in [[https://dumbingofage.tumblr.com/post/124121859452/hi-willis-community-clips-are-great-and-all-but a blog post]] by the comic's author, David Willis. According to Willis, he didn't intentionally design Dina as autistic at first, but based her heavily on himself; after learning that he likely had undiagnosed Asperger's, he decided that Dina was the same way.
90* ''Webcomic/TheDummysDummy'': While Yumi is always drawn with white (or very blond hair), fairer skin than the rest of the cast, and red eyes, readers initially take it as a stylistic choice. When she goes out in the daylight for the first time[[note]]she's been out at night several times[[/note]], however, she's wearing unseasonably long, dark clothing that covers her entire body except her hands and face, and dons a pair of sunglasses. This led some readers to suspect her of having albinism since her clothing indicates her having medically significant photosensitivity issues, and her appearance is consistent with usual fictional depictions of albinism. This is confirmed by the author in a Q&A issue of the original version.
91* Dan Shive, creator of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' mentions in a [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/qa8-08 Q&A Comic]] that over the years people have asked him if several of his characters - especially Tedd, Susan, Grace, and Noah as well as others - are on the autistic spectrum. His answer is a "solid maybe" as most of the times this comes up is after a character does something autobiographical which, in the same comic's commentary Dan ponders the same about himself. He comes to the conclusion that he might be and therefore he might have written traits into his characters but he doesn't know for sure.
92** [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/party-127 A later strip]] gets close too, but doesn't officially provide a DelayedDiagnosis of [=ADHD=] to at least Tedd when Diane points out what Nanase considers "nerdy behaviour" in terms of getting deeply into something to the point of hyperfixation is similar to [=ADHD=] and Tedd has a moment of realisation about themselves. Dan points out in the commentary that this is once more a result of him researching the condition and realising he himself may have it.
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95[[folder:Web Original]]
96* ''Literature/LoomingGaia'': [[https://loominggaia.tumblr.com/post/648509100587679744/are-there-autistic-characters-in-looming-gaia The Greys has said]] that Elska, Jeimos, and Mr. Ocean are autistic or at least have something similar to it in their respective species, but it's not explicitly mentioned in the series.
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99[[folder:Web Video]]
100* Much like his namesake, the fictionalized version of Creator/DavidJohnson in ''WebVideo/EconomyWatch'' has chronic depression.
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103[[folder:Western Animation]]
104* Marcy Wu from ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' shows signs of having both autism and ADHD. She's obsessed with anime, video games, and tabletop games, extremely clumsy, has excessive knowledge and a desire to learn more, has a short attention span, and has a tendency to "get caught in the zone" (hyperfocus). She even says she has trouble looking people in the eye sometimes. [[spoiler:She also has moments of being InnocentlyInsensitive, which is common amongst the autistic community.]] When originally asked about it in a Reddit AMA, series creator Matt Braly stated that [[https://drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/1h04GAjYd10FRomX6aG6RBCzaB7ywo-9m/view?usp=drivesdk Marcy wasn’t created with her having autism in mind, but also that there’s still "a lot to learn about her, even on our end"]], implying that [[AscendedFanon her being neurodivergent could eventually become canon later on if it suits the show's story]]. On June 15, 2022, the ''Amphibia'' crew confirmed via Twitter [[https://twitter.com/scisetstarlight/status/1536939409496342528 that Marcy does indeed have autism,]] making her the first canonically autistic character in any Disney Television Animation series, and also the second canonically neurodivergent Disney TVA character (following Luz Noceda from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse''; see below for more on her).
105* ''WesternAnimation/ElTigreTheAdventuresOfMannyRivera'': Manny was retroactively [[https://twitter.com/mexopolis/status/1510278691271585797 confirmed]] to be autistic by co-creator Creator/JorgeGutierrez, who was diagnosed with autism himself long after the show ended.
106* In ''WesternAnimation/GlitchTechs'', Miko has ADHD, and it is shown through her mannerisms. However, no one outright says that she has ADHD, and it is only confirmed by the creators.
107* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': Creator/MaxwellAtoms (who has Asperger's) revealed that Billy, Mandy, and Grim are autistic.
108* ''WesternAnimation/GrojBand'': [[https://grojband.blogspot.com/2012/05/corey-riffin.html Corey's bio]] on the production blog describes him as having both OCD and ADHD, but the creators have conversely [[https://neptoonstudios.tumblr.com/post/119891847818/is-corey-adhd denied]] he has the latter condition, stating he is instead "just weird".
109* ''WesternAnimation/HamsterAndGretel'': One of the show's two titular characters, Gretel Grant-Gomez, is confirmed by creator Dan Povenmire to have ADHD much like her voice actor, and his daughter, Meli Povenmire.
110* ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'': The two main characters of the ''Life With Loopy'' segments, Loopy and Larry Cooper, are commonly viewed as being on the autistic spectrum by fans of the show. While it wasn't the original intention, creator Stephen Holman [[ApprovalOfGod has approved of the theory]].
111* ''WesternAnimation/KidCosmic'': Craig [=McCracken=] confirmed over [[https://twitter.com/CrackMcCraigen/status/1369811191279755266 Twitter]] that Kid has road safety anxiety stemming from [[spoiler:being in the car crash that killed his mom and dad.]]
112%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheMightyB'': Some crew members have stated that Millie is meant to be autistic.
113* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
114** When Creator/LaurenFaust was still the showrunner, she initially conceived Scootaloo's inability to fly as a disability, then while the show was airing said that she "hadn't figured it out yet" (and as such was not disabled), then Faust [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld stopped being the showrunner]]. Meanwhile, in-universe, for most of the series, it was left largely ambiguous whether Scootaloo had an actual disability or was just having trouble learning to fly ("Flight to the Finish", the first episode where her trouble flying played a major role in the plot, explicitly left it open as to whether she would eventually fly). Nonetheless, many fans held her up as a role model for people with disabilities (which [[BrokenBase caused a bit of controversy]] between them and fans who were hopeful to see Scootaloo eventually fly after [[WheelchairWoobie seeing her struggle]]). After Scootaloo was shown with child-sized wings in "Growing Up is Hard to Do" as an adult, WordOfGod [[https://www.derpibooru.org/images/2157535 confirmed via Twitter]] that that was indeed meant to indicate an actual disability, but included the line "But fans are welcome to interpret things how they like" (given that Bulk Biceps can fly despite having even smaller wings, Scootaloo's situation still is technically open to interpretation).[[note]]That line could just as easily be interpreted to mean "We're trying to have it both ways" -- that is, satisfy both the fans who wanted to see Scootaloo eventually fly and those who had held her up as a quality specimen of disability representation.[[/note]]
115** In 2023, Faust [[https://twitter.com/Fyre_flye/status/1710509469787201951 suggested]] that Pinkie Pie has ADHD, which she herself has.
116* Luz from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' was confirmed by series creator Dana Terrace to be neurodivergent during a Tumblr AMA, though she wasn't written with any particular disorder in mind. [[AscendedFanon A later interview would canonize the fan theory that she had ADHD]].
117* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'': In [[http://www.unmaskedsdpodcast.com/2020/09/04/interview-transcript-episode-12-mitch-watson/ a 2020 podcast]], Mitch Watson discussed how Fred was written with autism in mind; “...in our version of ''Mystery Incorporated'' Fred is slightly on the spectrum. You know, he is slightly, he’s a little bit Asperger’s-y, you know, with his obsession with traps and his inability to sort of read human emotions properly and everything. So again, we never said this in the series, but this is what we, this was what was in our minds.”
118* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': Entrapta is a genius primarily concerned more with science than with morality, has difficulty making friends, only eats food prepared a certain way, and little in the way of social tact. Given that it's a fantasy world, no one outright calls her autistic until [[https://imgur.com/nJSe1vv character designs]] for Season 4 confirmed it.
119* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Peridot has multiple character quirks associated with autism; upon being asked about it in an interview, Creator/RebeccaSugar stated that Peridot was not designed with autism in mind, but people are still free to consider her autistic [[{{Applicability}} if they want]].
120* The creators of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' confirmed that their version of Michelangelo has ADHD-PI (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive).
121** For that series' successor ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', staff writer Ron Corcillo [[https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1554280734319206401 has stated]] that he views the show's version of Donnie as being somewhere on the autism spectrum, along with the show's version of Mikey also having a form of ADD.
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