Read on Twitter
If you try to tell me Lilo isn’t autistic (or coded autistic) I WILL fight you. https://twitter.com/khaleesi_britt/status/1248392062665277442
Exhibit A:
Lilo in shutdown mode, while playing a comforting song.
Lilo in shutdown mode, while playing a comforting song.
Exhibit B:
Lilo screaming into a pillow while having a meltdown, with photos of her special interest in the background.
Lilo screaming into a pillow while having a meltdown, with photos of her special interest in the background.
Exhibit C:
Lilo playing pretend with a psychologist’s office, which we all know she’s been visiting.
Lilo playing pretend with a psychologist’s office, which we all know she’s been visiting.
Exhibit D:
Lilo cannot read the obvious social cues of the mean girls that she thinks are friends. After she shares the backstory of her handmade doll, they turn up their noses and ride off in their tricycles. So she punishes them.
Lilo cannot read the obvious social cues of the mean girls that she thinks are friends. After she shares the backstory of her handmade doll, they turn up their noses and ride off in their tricycles. So she punishes them.
Exhibit E:
Lilo hand-stims and avoids eye contact while apologizing for her meltdown.
Lilo hand-stims and avoids eye contact while apologizing for her meltdown.
Exhibit F:
Like many autistic girls, Lilo has an elaborate backstory for her make-believe characters.
She HAS to give Pudge the fish a sandwich at the same time, EVERY DAY.
Like many autistic girls, Lilo has an elaborate backstory for her make-believe characters.
She HAS to give Pudge the fish a sandwich at the same time, EVERY DAY.
Exhibit G
Lilo expertly scripts a response and fakes a convincing smile, before returning to her flat effect.
Yes, she is doing this for child welfare services, but it is still an excellent example of masking.
Lilo expertly scripts a response and fakes a convincing smile, before returning to her flat effect.
Yes, she is doing this for child welfare services, but it is still an excellent example of masking.
Exhibit H:
Lilo shares her handmade doll and its backstory to the neurotypical girls, and they are repulsed.
Every autistic will recognize the feeling of enthusiastically sharing a passion of theirs, only to be seen as a weirdo.
Lilo shares her handmade doll and its backstory to the neurotypical girls, and they are repulsed.
Every autistic will recognize the feeling of enthusiastically sharing a passion of theirs, only to be seen as a weirdo.
Exhibit I:
Lilo displaying characteristic bluntness and lack of decorum, asking the intimidating-looking child welfare guy “Did you ever kill anyone?”
Lilo displaying characteristic bluntness and lack of decorum, asking the intimidating-looking child welfare guy “Did you ever kill anyone?”
Exhibit J:
Stitch is meant to represent how Lilo feels: Like an alien. A monstrosity. Someone who will never be understood.
But here Stitch explains that he is not alone after all.
He describes the autistic community.
Yeah.
Stitch is meant to represent how Lilo feels: Like an alien. A monstrosity. Someone who will never be understood.
But here Stitch explains that he is not alone after all.
He describes the autistic community.
Yeah.
I could fill the alphabet with reasons that Lilo is autistic, but my point is...
I saw Lilo and Stitch in high school, long before I was diagnosed, and I bawled my eyes out. I saw this girl and felt like I wasn’t an alien. I was worthy of love. That there were others like me.
I saw Lilo and Stitch in high school, long before I was diagnosed, and I bawled my eyes out. I saw this girl and felt like I wasn’t an alien. I was worthy of love. That there were others like me.
So in summary, Lilo and Stitch is a story about an autistic who finds that she is not alone.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
If you’ve read through this thread and would like to learn more about autism, here’s a translation of the autism diagnostic criteria from an #ActuallyAutistic perspective.
https://twitter.com/steve_asbell/status/1247978942180601858?s=21 https://twitter.com/steve_asbell/status/1247978942180601858
https://twitter.com/steve_asbell/status/1247978942180601858?s=21 https://twitter.com/steve_asbell/status/1247978942180601858
Some of y’all have been asking “Gee, if Lilo resonates with so many autistics, could I be autistic too?”
Well, I’m no doctor, but here’s a questionnaire to help you sort that out.
https://twitter.com/steve_asbell/status/1232060929405259782?s=21
Well, I’m no doctor, but here’s a questionnaire to help you sort that out.
https://twitter.com/steve_asbell/status/1232060929405259782?s=21
