How was "The Good Doctor" EVER on TV?

[@pinkiepuff]

i think it's fair to mention that a lot of the 'autism experts' consulted for this show were affiliated with autism speaks. and if you know anything about autism speaks, it really starts to make sense why shaun was portrayed this way in the show.

[@nont18411]

Please elaborate about Autism Speaks

[@aldranzam3456]

Oh Fuck...

[@aldranzam3456]

@@nont18411 They're a hate group that markets themselves as helping parents of autistic children. But they actually treat autism as a sickness, and promote the equivalent of conversion therapy for trans kids (forcing them to mask to adapt to society instead of making acomodations). Many parents that associate with Autism speaks think they are victims and heroes for having autistic children, like the disability of their kid is theirs. They're borderline abusive. Most autistic people (like myself) absolutely hate them. Now I know they're associated with the show it definitely makes me think less of it...

[@pinkiepuff]

@@nont18411autism speaks is an organization built on the belief that autism is something to be 'fixed.' they practice harmful treatments and therapy to help 'cure' autism. im also pretty sure that they were built on beliefs relating back to eugenics but that part im not so sure on.

[@betytt9]

not autism speaks…

[@igtut1]

I'm autistic, and I never had an issue with the concept of transness. I just had issues with understanding the language to describe it, but once the reasoning behind the terminology was explained to me, I was good. We're not stupid. We just have rigid mental maps. That's the nuance that should be portrayed in stories like this.

[@luthientinuviel3883]

Yeah and while I like following rules, when the rules don't make sense to me I just ignore them. Like transphobia. It dont make sense

[@mushroomaxolotl9806]

i'm trans and autistic and honestly it was harder to figure out for me than it usually is for trans people as i had no understanding of social constructs like gender

[@igtut1]

@mushroom axolotl I still have no concept of how gender works in an allistic brain. All I know is that I am reproductively female, and being a woman makes me happy and content, so I'm just going to vibe with it. I have gathered that I have a more neutral view than other cis women about things like my fertility, and I think that's the autism. I didn't mourn when I found out I have a high chance of infertility. I just got annoyed at how much motherhood could cost me. Apparently that's not the standard cis reaction? Idk.

[@igtut1]

@Luthien Tinuviel Once I learned about the neurological and hormonal components of transness, it all made perfect sense to me. I think we're less likely to be transphobic because we're usually not interested in defending arbitrary social rules. Show us the data on male/female brain scans, and it's a very simple, "Oh, the categories aren't discrete. Got it. Moving on."

[@mattratt73]

fr like im autistic and i literally AM trans 💀

[@charmander466]

The crazy thing was when he was being reprimanded, it was after he ripped his mask off in the surgery room, while a patient was cut open, screamed over their open abdomen, then stormed out and refused to do surgery. So they had a patient cut open, waiting for a new surgeon to be found, and having just had germs fly everywhere.

[@ameliasellers6396]

That is so horrifying.

[@yeenbean3318]

I would think he would care more about the rules of surgery. I worked in a bio lab for a while and I was good at it because I was super nitpicky about the rules, and I would think of every little detail to make sure everything went the way it was supposed to. Btw it wasn't like some important fancy job. I was just doing low level work helping out with the stuff to make things run smoothly for everyone else.

[@charmander466]

@@ameliasellers6396 he literally could have killed the patient. But the episode tried to "save" him by making it a hard surgery so he freaked out. And somehow that kinda makes it worse.

[@charmander466]

@@yeenbean3318 used to do lab stuff too. And if we yelled over a sample, of which was wild fruit, we'd have to start over. We testing proteins, he's saving lives. The standards are very clear.

[@rockification]

exactly. a person with that level of irrationality in stressful situations should not be allowed to perform surgery. sometimes disabilities make it so people aren’t able to do things that others can… and that’s okay. i wish they had gone with that message but they DIDNT

[@Noahsacoyote]

"I am poorly written I am poorly wrITTEN I AM POORLY WRITTEN DR HAN-"

[@MeeraEdits1]

YES😭

[@fedyaintheflesh]

As a person with autism i can confirm that i am in fact, a surgeon

[@chocomin5059]

I second this

[@patienceholmes841]

No way, me too, I never realised being a surgeon was a diagnostic criteria, would’ve made it so much easier to discover

[@DaydreamingRatMan]

According to the DSM-5, all autistics are surgeons

[@Geinky]

I do not know if I'm autistic or not, but I am not a surgeon so I can only assume I'm not autistic

[@cassie2323]

as yet another neurodivergent person, i agree that we are all surgeons.

[@CowFairy]

'I AM A SURGEON, I AM A SURGEON, I AM - I AM A SURGEON, I AM A SURGEON DR HAN!' - Dumbledore said calmly.

[@AxolotlsAreAxolotls]

Dr Han is book, dr Murphy is movie.

[@joycewible8816]

😂😂😂

[@MadelineBuckner]

😆

[@Shooting..St4r]

when my niece was diagnosed with autism, I wasn’t surprised when she was diagnosed as a surgeon, too.

[@tangerine1884]

HELP AJDHAJDDJD IM WHEEZING

[@dani-xc4hi]

IM GONNA SUE YOU YOURE KILLING ME I CANT STOP LAUGHING

[@Misora7303]

Comorbility mAh dude 😂

[@lanceducusin4696]

It's a 😎✨package deal✨💅

[@shuichisaiharasimp]

HELP💀💀💀

[@Coolerthanu-w9o]

I just want to point out that Coopers hair is making a little heart in this video and I think its very cute

[@TobanJanzen]

How did I not notice that it’s adorable!!!

[@josiesmarvelsanctuary]

IT IS OMG

[@patienceholmes841]

As an autistic person: when someone says they consulted with “autism experts” it means they consulted with neurotypicals who do not listen to neurodivergent ideas, opinions or feelings so that’s fresh and funky

[@stxrstruck6755]

Last time someone consulted a "autism expert" Sia worked with Autism Speaks and made Music 🧍🏾

[@dollbowz]

i was literally about to comment this exact same thing, so true

[@Kitthecatgod]

Yes

[@mightymeatymech]

....i bet they talked to some people from autism speaks 🤡😭 i feel like autistic people have been saying for a while that they're perfectly capable of acting, instead of producers making NT people cosplay as autistic, but don't quote me there tbh. also, of course cooper touched on this cause he's beautiful, but the savant stereotype is freaking old as heck. let autistic people be average and have niche interests and love them for it rather than what they can provide for society 2023 challenge lol

[@bellakeksi8313]

​@@mightymeatymech also many autistic people have many different interests and talents

[@ingridschroder282]

As an autistic person I can confirm that Doctor Han's flat expression makes him a better representation of autism than Shaun.

[@candywizard]

ah yes, the autism stare 😐

[@stars_everywhere]

I physically can't make eye contact with people without looking at their eyes like that

[@theMyRadiowasTaken]

​@@candywizard wait is that why the tbh creature is called the autism creature

[@Dr.LongMonkey]

No, his lack of expression is because he’s Asian. This is also why Asians used to not be cast in almost anything in Hollywood, because their faces can’t contort the same way other races can

[@lilypad4711]

i feel you, i'm not officially autistic yet

[@foolsupright8512]

I'm autistic and my biggest frustration is hearing when someone is working with "autism professionals" instead of autistic people themselves. We're so consistently misrepresented because there's still so much misunderstanding. It's such a big struggle to be heard and understood already.

[@DaisyEdwards-md7jl]

Totally! And half the time by experts they mean autism speaks

[@bluesteno64]

EXACTLY

[@robinjupiter4731]

Also, the “autism professionals” they were working with were (I’m pretty sure) Autism Speaks. Idk if you’re familiar with them, but I wouldn’t exactly call them “autism proffesionals”. They’re extremely ableist and problematic, straight up anti-autism.

[@helpineedsleep2101]

@@robinjupiter4731 they where, so explains why the representation is so bad

[@rosepuppy1984]

@@robinjupiter4731it’s so frustrating having to explain that to people. My parents learned stuff from Autism Speaks and when I told them it was bad they had a hard time taking in that information. My mom felt I was attacking _her_ because of it (I also think she may be undiagnosed and so does my dad). I also feel I’ve learned more about my autism from other autistics on the internet than other people. When I 1st learned of autism speaks I was horrified to say the least.

[@UltrasonicGrimalkin]

as someone with ASD, its hard seeing a meltdown/shut down portrayed this way. Whoever they consulted truly left the community hanging

[@singlecow3895]

that is what im sayiinngg. i also have ASD and the. est think we do in my opinion is masking.

[@corvidKinq]

They consulted autism speaks, so that checks out

[@UltrasonicGrimalkin]

@@corvidKinq yeah like that's a reputable organization

[@WhereAmIAndWhy]

A doctor that used to work where i go, he was a very old man. He did his medical training years ago. However, after having his first transgender patient, he went back to medical school to be educated on the things he didn't know (RIP Dr. Alan, you were actually amazing)

[@barbecuedsimsbaby]

:O!!! That's amazing

[@WhereAmIAndWhy]

@@barbecuedsimsbaby he was a great man

[@mememologies7363]

Dr. Alan was such a king for that

[@nazninsultana9248]

I will always stan for that

[@sierraramrattan5164]

what a beautiful soul

[@KatKiwi_]

As an Autistic person, I feel it’s important to add - some parts of the internet haven’t been able to separate Sean from actually Autistic people. I’ve been seeing “I am a surgeon” comments on serious videos about autism and it’s just a sad excuse of ableism 😭 Edit: some people were upset I used “someone with autism” instead of “autistic person”, I wasn’t aware of the importance of differentiating the two at the time of the comment but I am now so I changed it since I am an autistic person🫡

[@ultravioletcatastrophe]

it feels like the I am a surgeon meme is a sad excuse of ableism to begin with, like I don't believe anyone making fun of Shaun is actually critizing this show's portrayal of autism so much as they just want to make fun of an autistic character

[@curious1053]

Is that an anime profile pic?

[@sillygoose42069]

@@curious1053 is that a virgin loser?

[@nagitosbiggyattt]

@@curious1053pretty sure it’s a minecraft skin.

[@KatKiwi_]

@@ultravioletcatastrophe I feel that too, plus that “I am a surgeon” scene is relatable to a lot of people with autism who have more meltdowns. But if I say that I’m just the sensitive autistic or I don’t know what I’m talking about because im so childish. It’s sad.

[@crickcrackcricketycrack5501]

I saw a South Korean Law Drama called "Extradentary Attorney Woo". Was about a young woman with autism who becomes a lawyer. Felt like it depicted autism in a pretty fair way, making you understand the difficulties she faces and how she deals with them. Would highly recommend a watch.

[@dreadwolfrising]

Was looking for a comment mentioning the show! While it also falls into the stereotype of savant syndrome, I found Woo-young's character far more nuanced and better represented - particularly since there arent many autistic women represented in media. Plus infantilization of autistic adults is addressed rather than the way The Good Doctor treats Shaun and excuses what are genuinely bad behaviours that have nothing to do with his autism

[@crickcrackcricketycrack5501]

@@dreadwolfrising 100% I also really liked how they handled how society treats someone with autism. The conflicts where the other lawyer feels Woo-young gets special treatment and the whole nepotism debate. Was really heart breaking but an unfortunate reality many have to go through.

[@shark_bee]

I love that show and I loved how for once they made the main character an autistic woman. I feel like the majority of autistic character are men so it’s nice to see

[@ditzee1622]

And they addressed the demonization of autism in media (mainly the internet) in that show as well! I honestly rlly like how they addressed issues people with autism face, it feels real and as an autistic person, there are parts of the show I remember relating to a lot! (specifically with Woo-young’s sensory issues when it came to hearing)

[@justarandomperson331]

yeah, as an autistic person, I loved that show!! I felt that it represented us really well :)

[@Mandalaaxo]

"Squishmallows in the background aren't always a good sign." This is the truest quote I've seen this week.

[@jennawebb4225]

But I have a squishmallow.... 😐 Did I miss a joke somewhere?

[@jollyquinn430]

@jennawebb4225 Not always a good sign doesn't mean not always a bad sign. He explained the joke in the video. A dude who thinks he's the reincarnation of H*tler has those plushies.

[@Bread16091]

@@jollyquinn430Even a super villain can own plushies! 👍

[@salemstrange2091]

As an autistic person I can say I understand why Shaun is having a meltdown in this situation, it’s really heartbreaking to see something you love get taken away from you

[@MaximusDream78]

Ok, but is he A SURGEON

[@salemstrange2091]

@@MaximusDream78 ya know I’m not sure let’s hear him out

[@MaximusDream78]

@@salemstrange2091 Actually I think he's saying "I AM A spongebob"

[@mycrazypersonalcreativef-fb7ck]

I agree. As a autistic guy my self I struggle with being able to read people and express my emotions with clarity.

[@StevieMcKenna10]

@@salemstrange2091and the fact that he was fired for honestly telling a patient her anti-depressants were most likely the cause of her baby's condition? Like bruh what the fuck do you expect him to tell her?? It was genetic even though there was most likely no genetic possibility? He's a damn doctor it's his job 😭

[@happyflowerdemon8565]

Tbh him not caring about his father is kind of justified. From what I remember, his dad was physically abusive to him and neglected his brother. Shawn even says "You killed my Bunny Rabbit" " You killed my brother".

[@chocomelo454]

oh yeah his dad threw Shaun's bunny at the wall. shits fucked I would like for Dr Han to Dr Han all over the dad. Dad is crying at Shaun or Dr Han over something and Dr Han does his iconic Dr Han stare.

[@weltschmerz_cairn9549]

Autism is very hit or miss in media, or it isn't spoken about at all. I never forgot how the main chatacter in "Bones" was supposed to be autistic but they didn’t add it in (aka, they never called her autistic despite her personality remaining the same) because they thought the audience wouldn’t like an autistic chatacter. I personally felt really weird about this when I watched the show years later as an autistic girl with a fixation in forensic anthropology and death science. I really related with the main chatacter and saw myself in her when I watched the first few episodes, and having that representation would have been fantastic

[@yourmom9474]

yes! i was talking to my mom about it she was definitely autistic. i wish they would have added it in

[@wjaydnds4739]

I love that show and I had no idea that her character was autistic, it makes complete sense now you mention it, but she does grow throughout the show and I think they do a really good job of showing that. I, however, have not seen the end, I don't have access to watch it currently

[@jessi.mp4]

So I’ve been subjected to every episode of Bones ever multiple times, and they do reference her possibly being autistic in the show… only to brush it off bc sHe’S jUsT wEiRd and slowly take away her autistic traits as the show went on and her and Booth’s relationship became the focus instead of the cases.

[@yourmom9474]

@@jessi.mp4 yeah i noticed that too towards the end she lost a lot of the traits and it bummed me out :/

[@zutena5090]

i have to wonder if they did this because they (wrongly) didn't want to have the romance with the david borenaz character if she was autistic, especially back when it started

[@lafetonlore2937]

"A second surgeon has hit the tower." "God's gonna put me to Hell for this." *Chicken dances.*

[@_geno_]

yeah this show is HORRIBLE at portraying autism. The actor isn’t autistic, so hes just trying to act out the mannerisms in a stereotypical way making it extremely uncomfortable. Also the fact that they made him transphobic is kinda worse, autistic people are actually more likely to understand trans people. They just took the “really aggressive and emotional but also very logical” thing to a weird degree

[@JDMimeTHEFIRST]

I agree. He's doiung Rainman, basically. I don't understand why they don't consult with actual autistic people or even hire an autistic actor. That doesn't always solve the problem either. I do think they should have autistic writers to write an actually autistic character in a humane way. No more cartooinish stereotypes that reinforce misinformation. I don't even like Liove on The Spectrum because they refuse to have late diagnosed women over 30 on the show who have dated and could give useful insight. They just want to infantalize the syndrome and only show people who live with their parents and don't have experience. It's just for ratings. And they falsely call it a documentary so they don't have to pay the autistic people. It's BS and they are making money off of misrepresenting us.

[@_geno_]

@@sandcloud5010 actually yeah i worded it weirdly, its more like they made him only understand the sex binary and connect that to gender inextricably, when autistic people are more likely to be and understand trans and queer experiences, so them making the character act like that to a trans person is again pushing the stereotype of autistic people having a narrow understanding of society

[@sillyguy247]

i also heard the actor supports autismspeaks...

[@KASPlaysSims]

Yeah . I have OCD, ADHD and diagnosed mild autism so mine isn’t as severe but still is there and I don’t like how they portray things like mental illness cause one wrong move and it makes people think all people with this condition act like this which isn’t true .

[@atlas7360]

not to mention that the actor supports and was on autism speaks

[@jane2.jane2]

I honestly thought this show was over… but I guess being a surgeon never ends. I AM SURGEON!!!!

[@nailawilliams6344]

This is an old episode it randomly resurfaced which caused the talk about transphobia.

[@sandcloud5010]

It isn't transphobic this is a very old episode.

[@sandcloud5010]

@sewerrat7418 and you are narrow minded. He didn't understand.

[@sandcloud5010]

@sewerrat7418 did you consider that not everyone understands the trans community

[@sandcloud5010]

@sewerrat7418 its representation of that

[@cityofnumbersix]

As an autistic person I’m going to be 100% honest here and say that as much as I believe we should be getting VARIED forms of representation, because we all obviously present differently, I think it’s kind of blind to say that representation such as Dr. Murphy shouldn’t exist. My brother is also on the spectrum and presents more like Dr. Murphy, including his struggling to separate gender identity from biological sex, because his brain takes the “facts” he’s taught and runs with them until he can be presented with research and “facts” that prove otherwise. I am transgender. I am on the other side of this argument that doesn’t see the meaning or value in gender stereotypes and classifications, so this caused issues between us when I came out. He eventually learnt, he grew, but just because someone is autistic doesn’t mean they’re not going to fall victim to toxic mindsets if that’s what they’ve been taught either by their environment or maybe by the side of the internet they end up on at a young age. My brother also blows the fuck up just like Dr. Murphy does in the ‘I am a surgeon’ scene and it’s not until he’s given time to process later that he’s able to compile his thoughts and emotions and feel embarrassment and guilt over that, it’s a belated response, something a lot of autistic people including myself deal with. I feel empathy belatedly and it’s only after years of learning how to mask that and PRETEND that I care about someone’s feeling at the time, until such a point that my belated empathy response hits me and I genuinely do feel for them, that I am able to present like I care as a neurotypical person would. I feel such a tremendous amount of guilt and self hatred everyday for the fact that this is how my brain works, that I have to faux-feel until I really feel, because it’s not a lack of love or care, but just how I an hardwired. What I’m trying to say I guess, is I think that it’s actually quite beneficial for those present in their autism similar to Dr. Murphy to see that they are not evil or cruel or over emotional (when they can’t control their blow ups and have to process and LEARN to apologize later despite how difficult it can feel), or under emotional, but that it’s something a lot of us genuinely struggle with and that we have the ability to learn and adapt and become okay with ourselves. I think putting those of us that have to suffer with the more the toxic traits that autism can manifest into a box of “bad” or “inaccurate” representation only reinforces the suffering that those in our community have to go through, whilst those of us that don’t suffer as badly get to bask in all the “good” representation of the slight-easier-but-just-as-valid-and-sometimes-difficult aspects. Both can exist at the same time as long as they are handled in a way that best benefits those involved. Dr. Murphy learnt later to emphasize with his patient, to respect her pronouns and he went out of his way to try and learn from HER what made her the person she is, not only just looking at gender dysphoria from a medical perspective, but going out of his way to form a connection that for some of us makes it easier for us to process and information. I’m not sure. I’m probably going to get a million angry people tell me I’m wrong, but I just don’t think hiding the ugly side of things that some of us struggle with is actually doing anything but adding to the shame. We can feel comfortable in ourselves and learn to develop and grow without first seeing the root of our struggles pulled out and understood on some level. Autism isn’t an excuse for bad behaviour, but it is a REASON and understanding that reason is the first step to making things better for everyone.

[@kristenyarbrough4287]

Thank you for saying all of this. It put into words what I've been trying to think about lately. I hope you don't mind me asking, but I would like to ask you this because of the perspective you're coming in with. Do you think autistic people that are on the same spectrum as doctor Murphy should be in high stress jobs? Should autistic people be accommodated when the work environment doesn't allow neurotypicals to be patient with us? You can probably tell I'm coming at this as an autistic person. I've been seeing more and more representation that presents a little more of the "ugly" parts of autism. Not enough to be unpalatable for an audience of course. But Ive wondering about it for a while. Shaun Murphy represents traits that are less palatable. Idk how necessarily realistic they are but I wonder if it's ok to be a surgeon with his specific difficulties. Is it ok to ask you what you think?

[@ardenalexa94]

@@kristenyarbrough4287 some people on the spectrum can handle high amounts of stress while others cant. So I think it depends on how much the person struggles and what symptoms They present. How severe the symptoms are. Etc. Everyone on the spectrum is different and copes and learns differently. Just like “normal” people do.

[@kristenyarbrough4287]

@@ardenalexa94 that is fair. Thank you for answering

[@ardenalexa94]

@@kristenyarbrough4287 no problem

[@nevaehonrefni]

I was looking for this. Plus he has savant syndrome which is something this guy left out. It's not that just his autism makes him super smart, it's savant syndrome and sometimes people's with autism HAVE SAVANT SYNDROME. They're acting like this isn't a real form of autism. No not everyone with autism is this severe, but my cousin is like this as well. Autism but very intelligent. She can play music by notes without needing sheet music. She has such amazing talents but is very much so "but this is the facts" as well. I think it's very discriminatory and the ASD community is almost trying to push this horrible idea that autistic people aren't like this when there are and to act like we shouldn't represent that is strange to me.

[@cheyennebowling7244]

“I am a spongebob” absolutely rips

[@mel4340]

as an autistic person that has trans cousin and sister, i actually understood what is a transgender person much easier than the neurotypicals around me, they, for some reason, think this is an incredibly hard and complex thing to comprehend, but for me it was always very easy. Just like any other LGBTQ+ (i'm also part of it). When my sister came out to my mom, she said that they would take time, and that it is hard to just change how they view her, and then i replied "well for me it is being very easy" and she replied "you are different, you have an easier time with that stuff". The thing i don't understand is actually the opposite. Homophobic and transphobic people don't make sense to me at all, and i could go on for AGES about why, but really this comment isn't about this.

[@1970Camaro]

Yeah, thats also what I know from myself and most autistic people around me? Like, homophobia and shit like that makes way less sense than transsexuality, which is a fairly easy thing to get and adjust to

[@aldranzam3456]

Well, there are autistic people that can understand, and some that can't. Just like Neurotypicals. It's just weird we're supposed to ALL be represented by this one kind of autistic character. I like the show and the character, I just don't see it as the ultimate representation, and it shouldn't be. At the end of the day, it's just a show.

[@msjkramey]

Every autistic person is different

[@secondface2979]

You don’t need to be autistic to not be homophobic. My younger brother is autistic and mega homophobic.

[@mel4340]

@@Astrapricity2 thank you so much for your kind words. I just don’t like It when people put us in boxes and forget that each of us are different. You must be such a good friend!

[@aelincat8455]

My daughter has a specialist doctor who is autistic. She's excellent at her job, and struggles with the social aspects for sure. But she doesn't have meltdowns at the hospital. We had an incident where my daughter wouldn't stop shouting and it overstimulated the doctor, and the doctor just walked out and sent a nurse in until my daughter settled down. No meltdown, just removing herself from the situation to ensure she could do her job well. Dr. Murphy in this show has meltdowns on multiple occasions. Autistic people can be amazing doctors AND learn to adapt in a hospital setting. He really doesn't.

[@soho6435]

Did anyone ever tell you that autism is a spectrum? Your doctor's autism isn't the same level as everyone else's. My sister is severely austistic and she has meltdowns in her job all the time. She STILL is a good employee. So please don't say stupid shit like that

[@uglysongsforuglysouls]

Meltdowns don’t make you a bad person or unprofessional. We can’t control them.

[@soho6435]

@@uglysongsforuglysouls exactly

[@biwnzixebrxb4786]

@@soho6435most autistic people have meltdowns at home and are not brain dead when it comes to social skills like Murphy.

[@syl59281]

@@soho6435 No one's saying your sister or people in general having meltdowns at work are bad employees. They just said that autistic people can be skilled doctors while also having coping strategies/ways to prevent getting super overwhelmed. They didn't say "all autistic people are able to control it" or "it's unprofessional to have meltdowns at work". They literally didn't say that (or hint at it). The point is that, even though it can be an accurate representation of some autistic people the problem is that it's generally people's only interpretation/understanding of "autistic". The problem is the lack of diversity, the lack of understanding of how different different autistic people can be

[@icceboxx]

A lot of issues people have with this comes from the fact that the actor works with/supports Autism Speaks and the fact that the “I am a surgeon” scene is basically a neurotypical actor pretending to have an autistic meltdown, which is a really painful experience for a person to have. It’s also reminiscent of people filming a child’s autistic meltdown in public, which is really painful to watch and not something that should be used for entertainment. The transphobia was clearly a “autistic person doesn’t understand social conventions and struggles to adapt to new information/worldview” which just rankles me. Autistic people tend to be some of the most accepting, understanding, intellectually adaptable that people I know. Like it’s not hard for us to take in new information. (And a lot of trans people I know are also autistic which is just a silly little fun fact.)

[@nont18411]

A show about autism totally from a neurotypical perspective

[@UnraveledAnarchy]

Also trans and autistic, and I've noticed the same thing!

[@AmandaDixson]

He's actually Autistic. He's not typical.

[@AmandaDixson]

You may have a perception, but you have an unjust bias.

[@icceboxx]

@@AmandaDixson Freddie Highmore is not autistic, he’s even said this himself. You seem to be the one with an unjust bias.

[@gracestayner2033]

I’m just imagining Cooper’s mom’s reaction to a voice mail from her child just yelling I AM A SURGEON!!!!!😂

[@kyle570]

The original Korean version of this show makes much more sense honestly. It's a bit dated and I don't know much about Korean views on autism but the plot of the story is about Si-on (the main character) being able to prove himself to the hospital staff in the pediatrics ward that he is capable of becoming a resident in pediatric surgery. The show focuses solely on pediatrics, which makes more sense than how the American version just skips around to different specialties. Si-on also takes criticism and advice well in the show and he has significant character development. (There's even a cute romance) Most of the first season of the American show has scenes directly lifted from the Korean show.

[@kyle570]

I forgot to add that each patient gets more than one episode and Si-on forms significant relationships with each of them and their families.

[@vivchim]

what’s the name of the show? it seems interesting

[@tangkwathetroublemakergirl555]

@@vivchim you can look up"good doctor korean" cuz they got the same name like the american version

[@Minjiji_kim]

A family member of mine is actually watching that version, she said it's 20x better than the other Good Doctor versions

[@anaalina5964]

Bro... bro... please don't even joke about that. The korean version portrays an autistic person like a stuttering anime protagonist... Korean shows are consistently horrible at portrays realistic mental disorders/illness. The american version of the good doctor is way more accurate, I don't understand why people don't believe some people on the spectrum act like Shaun. Not everyone's autism is the same, but the korean version is just... cringe tbh.

[@LilRedWitch]

If I could recommend an insanely amazing show that imo depicts ASD insanely well is the k-drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”, which is about Woo Young Woo, a lawyer who has ASD. My friends who are on the spectrum have all said how much they adore the portrayal on that show, and it also has an insanely good plot. She is such a great actress who took her role very seriously, and spent months spending time with all types of wonderful people who have ASD, and said that experience really opened her mind and was grateful to be taught that autistic people are just as lovely and human as ANYONE else. South Korea is still quite stigmatized when it comes to autism, and this show just showed that autistic people are just as valuable and personable as ANYONE else. Her character, Woo, has a photographic like memory, but works her ASS off to become a successful lawyer, be sociable, and be recognized for being a good lawyer, not a lawyer who has autism. Highly recommend ☺️

[@abigailbargdill3257]

Omg I looovveed watching this show. I’ve watched a few episodes of the good doctor and I can tell it’s an allistic person acting autistic. It’s just so cookie-cutter. I was surprised when I found out the actress who plays Woo isn’t on the spectrum because her portrayal is so well done

[@sorenlover9957]

Yesssss!!! I love Woo so much, as a woman with autism myself it's really inspiring and great to see!!!!!!

[@LilRedWitch]

@@sorenlover9957 and in Korea it’s being talked about and brought awareness ! She even studied ASD (the actress) with people on the spectrum to make sure to portray them accurately and respectfully I love her

[@VenusAD]

To add: The original Good Doctor is also a way better portrayal, but I don't remember them actually ever stating he had ASD. Also It's Okay to Not Be Okay, but there you're dealing with more of a pronounced developmental delay and ptsd.

[@LilRedWitch]

@@VenusAD definitely mention he’s on the spectrum. Heavily HEAVILY iron fist implied at the very least. Also it’s okay to not be okay is another great suggestion 🫶🏻

[@maddie-it1bo]

the doc not understanding trans ppl is kinda strange bc the overlap of autistic ppl and gender nonconforming ppl is pretty significant. having autism myself, i definitely feel a diconnect from gender. and ffs I wish that shows trying to push a supportive outlook would establish a distinction between gender and sex. edit: also the stereotype of autistic ppl not understanding social boundaries is annoying 😭 a lot of us spend a lot of energy trying to learn social cues and expectations that don't come naturally/don't make sense to us.

[@igtut1]

"Understanding" is the key word here imo. I don't always understand the rules and boundaries, but I'm smart enough to know that they exist and that it is kind to follow them. If this character could graduate from medical school, he would be able to do that.

[@taylorfrink1182]

tbf theres also an overlap particularly with autistic males, particularly white and or latino, grasping on to hateful extremist ideologies against women, lgbt community, and people of certain races or immigration statuses, so to make it seem like being autistic and even an autistic savant in medicine immediately means they understand and support these communities would also be ignoring a legitimate issue in the community. our black and white style of thinking can make us susceptible to extremist views for sure. i agree though that i wish shows and movies would show more of us aspies without making it seem like we all are that extreme on the lack of social boundaries spectrum. obviously there is always some degree of it due to that being the nature of the diagnosis in part but it doesnt have to be portrayed like the caricature it so often is.

[@crypticcryptid4702]

I mean if the creator is the same as the one who made House then I'm not surprised. An ace writer tried to get their experience out in an episode, but the showrunners overran the desicion to portray it as a "medical issue".

[@mazzyb8321]

I was gonna comment this, but I'll just comment on yours because I don't actually have autism myself. I am using my husband's account, though, and he is autistic. It also upsets me that a medical show doesn't understand that there are people born with xy chromosomes and a vagina and with xx and a penis, plus they're are more than just xx and xy "biologically"

[@igtut1]

@@taylorfrink1182 Oh, the Libertarians almost got me. I'll admit it. We need people who are willing to take the time and explain things to us thoroughly, or the black and white thinking can send us down a pipeline. Social media has been wonderful about making that kind of education accessible.

[@cheese7119]

When he says "I am a surgeon" with tears in his eyes I feel like I wanna hug him because he's very relatable :'l sometimes I do feel like that too, and I wanna scream to people in their face the way I feel. What is my truth. And I want them to understand and validate me because I'm very insecure. And if I was in his place I would want someone, anyone to come to me and confirm my reality. Like in that scene from Stanley parable where he keeps walking around in circles and the narrator says Stanley must be in a dream but then he opens his eyes and he's still there and then he goes crazy and dies and sometimes that's exactly how I feel on the inside

[@FloatyyBrain]

Honestly it’s so dumb to say that he “doesn’t understand social boundaries” yet he asks the girl if she wears dresses and likes the color pink which are all gender roles made by society. Also a lot of autistic people, myself included, are some kind of non-binary term or trans because of that exact reason. Because of our lack of understanding of social norms including gender, a lot of us identify outside of said social norms.

[@hypnotised-clover]

Stop saying "we", say "I", you don't represent everybody.

[@pokemonfan7577]

11:52 "even if you're autistic, you can still be a good person" thanks Cooper 😂

[@men_r_paul]

I'm autistic. I'll be a good example of a bad doctor

[@hazeld8016]

@@men_r_paul YOU'RE THE AUTISTIC DOCTOR WE NEEDED, NOT THE ONE WE DESERVED 😭

[@dragonlover7196]

all of us lawless, immoral autistics realizing just how right cooper is...

[@Zyanide_]

​@@men_r_paulYou are truly a hero to mankind

[@mparagames]

@@men_r_paul lmao

[@shawnaleigh4430]

I’m autistic and my meltdowns absolutely look like this when I’m overstimulated and I repeat the same thing because I can only focus on that one thing and nothing else around me. It’s been really frustrating seeing people making fun of this scene.

[@teddscaut493]

Similar thing happens with my mom and I when we get extremely upset, except neither of us are on the spectrum. Well, one doctor diagnosed me as autistic because he told the same “joke” over and over again to try to get me to laugh to stroke his ego, but I refused to laugh because it was stupid and I was tired, so he told my parents that I had autism because I didn’t understand humour/wasn’t trying to seek his approval by pretending to laugh. Anyways… yeah, it’s not uncommon for people who are extremely upset to repeat the same thing over and over again. I don’t get why anyone would find this scene funny. My dad actually mocks me sometimes when I get this upset, but if I tell him he’s being an asshole, for some reason I’m the one who gets in trouble for “disrespecting” him and not acting like an adult.

[@redvelvetdewdrops]

same. it honestly hurts a little. meltdowns are already embarrassing enough but the fact that this scene is being belittled by people who say they are defending us really stings.

[@alicexmelo]

I don’t think people are making fun of his meltdown by itself, but about the whole situation. I mean, the show’s been criticized before for making really blank and weird plot lines to excuse the main character being really insensitive and doing actually harmful things. I mean he’s a doctor on the show but regardless of benign autistic he is super out of touch in his own field. Btw, I am autistic and I also believe that bad memes are also being made about it and it kinda bothers me as well, but it’s not something out of nowhere

[@cyborgqueer]

same here

[@apexfenix9623]

Lol

[@N0T_S3R1OUS]

0:01 NOT THE COLLAR 😨😨😭😭

[@bonecrushr8561]

As an autistic, non-binary person, the fact that the “good doctor” doesn’t get issues with gender is so wild since a lot of autistic people tend to be under the trans umbrella. Like the writers for this are so out of touch with the times.

[@cmool]

Yeah but not.. all of them?

[@bonecrushr8561]

@@cmool that’s why I said a lot and not every single autistic person

[@Meeoollii]

No they’re not???

[@sillyguy247]

it's also common for autistic people to not understand rigid concepts like the gender binary.

[@bonecrushr8561]

@@Meeoollii yep, a lot of trans people are autistic and a lot of autistic people identify with the trans experience. Once again, I did not say all. I can send you some resources about this if you’d like.

[@floof_hair3857]

I'm autistic. I was studying in a medicine-adjacent field (I've since moved more towards the research pathway but that's another topic). The thing that frustrates me most about this show is that there is absolutely no way that Shaun could have made it though med school. The lecturers will intentionally pressure you and push you to the brink, and when you start cracking they will use it against you. At the very least, Shaun needs to be wayyyy better at masking. He seem incapable of learning and he makes the same type of mistakes over and over again.

[@devilskiss8421]

autism is a spectrum not all autistic people are the same dude

[@zeldawolff358]

​@@devilskiss8421 Yeah they're not all the same, but floof_hair was talking about masking and coping. Things that all autistic people have to deal with in their life. Shaun is very intelligent and can figure out all those medical problems when he's calm. But with how the character has been shown to behave in emotional situations and high-stress environments, he's clearly not suited to being a surgeon. Not yet at least. It's very dangerous to become disassociated or have a meltdown during a surgery, for example. Not saying he can't be a surgeon at all, but he needs a LOT more help before he can do that, and he cannot be one with how the character has been shown to behave so far.

[@Hi-en7xx]

@@devilskiss8421okay? They were talking about how he would’ve already had to go through a lot of similar pressures already

[@blondymonk1535]

You didn't watch the show, did you?

[@shadowdroid776]

Thank you for perfectly summing up my problem with this show! I don't have autism, but I have experience with people on all sides of the spectrum and my fiancé and some friends of mine are. When I saw trailers for this show when it first came out, I was *angry* at how they represented someone on the spectrum the way this doctor was written. If I remember correctly, he can't handle loud noises, has meltdowns, and he can't at all talk to patients in a way that wouldn't get him fired (that trans patient is an excellent example, you'd be fired on the spot at that point if you said that shit to a patient). He, as a person, would never have made it through medical school ESPECIALLY residency. High stress, lack of sleep, you need to be able to handle stress and loud noises as a surgeon. Autistic people can *absolutely* be awesome doctors, shit I feel like half of the medical professionals are tbh! But Shaun would not be able to be a doctor, or a nurse if he cannot handle those things. And that's totally fine! You don't need to be able to be everything, you can be you and that's what matters! House M.D. was not the best show, and not at all medically accurate, but at least House had better concepts of what autism was and how different it can look in people (house himself and the child patient).

[@XxLolitaLabatomyxX]

as a person with autism, I can confirm that I’m a surgeon who also happens to be a genius

[@skycarson1987]

As the mother of an autistic child, I think you raised many valid points about the media depictions of Autism, and how they can be super harmful. You are both balanced AND funny while addressing a very serious topic.

[@Boogidy]

As an autistic trans person I can confirm that I am a surgeon.

[@pissapocalypse]

Wait that means you can do your own surgery lol

[@HopeMasekuna]

Omg 100 samsies

[@yuarentlucky]

​@@pissapocalypseNO THEY CAN'T???

[@pissapocalypse]

@@yuarentlucky I'm gonna do surgery on myself just to spite god

[@definitelynotcole4842]

Same 👊

[@O_Sol_202]

As an autistic person I laughed at the "i am a surgeon" clip at first. Me and my brother (also autistic) found it funny due to how bad and inaccurate it was. But then Neurotypical people started using it under videos of people with autism who were simply having fun. I hate telling people I'm autistic since the boys at my school found out and now they won't shut up about that clip. Honestly, I thought us as a society knew better, guess I was wrong :/

[@Vioma_neblinado]

Like this people that says autistic people are "cringe" but they are just being themselves, expressing and having a good time uwu :(( is so sad that just being you is the silly little joke of someone who thinks they are superior to you just for it

[@O_Sol_202]

@@Vioma_neblinado EXACTLY! it's the worst!

[@O_Sol_202]

@@user-lf9qt5vr6y this!!! Literally the other day I got made fun of by 6 people because I was autistic, no other reason. They told me to 'be normal' and it shows there's no hope for people with disabilities when this shit is happening.

[@Shield954]

Autism is a spectrum. You and your brother do not represent all autistic people. Some people with autism are more susceptible to mental breakdowns due to overstimulation.

[@O_Sol_202]

@@Shield954 I know that?? I never stated I'm the ceo of autistic people? I'm just saying from MY point of view, it's not funny and a bad representation. I'm someone who has awful sensory breakdowns and has to wear headphones outside, if I don't, I have a breakdown. I'm almost always overstimulated. So, from someone who struggles alot all I'm saying is this isn't the way to show it and the joke isn't entertaining in the slightest.

[@Kretchlet]

I started re-watching House recently and the medical malpractice is insane, and most of the time half the shit wrong with the patient is a direct consequence of the doctors actions. The episode when hes in a dream world and slices the guy open in surgery still haunts my waking hours Would definitely like to see a reaction to one of those episodes

[@smokeykiwi8992]

Do you know hat season and episode that was?

[@pancakeboi2960]

​@@smokeykiwi8992 S2E24

[@ijornhribrudkrvir]

I mean at least house literally goes to prison lmao

[@devlintaylor9520]

House is still a badass

[@paris_2518]

Not to mention the Ace-phobia too 😭😭

[@dylanisntreal]

my biggest flex is my mom worked on this show because she worked with the surgeon man on bates motel

[@AlicePerahia]

we cannot represent the entire spectrum in one person. Its too wide. And actually, this scene represent really well the intensity of how people with autism can feel and react, out of frustration cause they feel like they cannot express it to the best to be understood.

[@Phoenix-sd5ld]

Agreed.

[@alokbaluni8760]

Freddie highmore is an amazing actor. People who are criticizing his acting are idiots.

[@markhaus]

I mean you could at least make a good faith effort, which the “good doctor” most certainly is not

[@xxthatsnotmexx]

Thank you

[@eilidhjossettestewart-arse2631]

My issue is that they chose to portray the stereotype like my autistic ass has never seen representation

[@raeofsunshine8377]

i feel like the problem with this show is not (entirely) the portrayal of autism, because as others have said, shaun's symptoms are present in a lot of autistic people. my family friend's son presents similarly, with the hyperfixation and meltdowns. i think the issue is that it is incredibly strange for shaun to present like that WITHOUT MASKING in a profession like his, at his age. i recently realized that i'm autistic and i'm still trying to figure out which of my behaviours are masking and which are genuine as a 21 year old university student. unless shaun was sheltered his entire life, until he entered his residency at the hospital, he would mask way more than he does.

[@darlingkorexo]

What is masking?

[@raeofsunshine8377]

@@darlingkorexo good question! masking is a term autistic people use to refer to imitating other people, specifically their emotional responses. like looking happy for someone when they tell you good news. for a lot of autistic people, its a conscious or learned choice to act "normal" when around people, especially ones you aren't close to.

[@cybeshi]

@@darlingkorexo It's also probably a reason why so many autistic people (about 50%) have alexithymia, meaning that we don't recognise and can't properly name our emotions. For me for instance, in an age where others learn to talk about and process their emotions, I learned that I was weird and how to hide this as well as I could. It took many years to learn how to put that mask off and be open with myself & with other people. Masking can come with a lot of shame, too.

[@Tymbee]

There's not much public discourse of masking in media at all, even outside of this show.

[@Lupus9272]

It's true that the traits are there, but this isn't just a lack of masking, it's infantizing meltdowns.

[@comfycove1331]

there's a show called extra ordinary attorney woo where the main character is a super genius attorney with autism. but there's this one character that appears for a episode who also has autism but that character is not a super genius. the show shows all sides of the spectrum. It's honestly one of my favorite shows [its a kdrama btw] it a show I recommend to people who don't watch kdramas. The main character is kind and cute. She's an amazing person and many episodes are amazing

[@rorygilmorelove6]

There are other Autistic characters too.

[@TzoLia]

hey ik that kdrama too! it's super good and awesome I'm so glad someone else knows it!!

[@itskn1v3s]

i wish more ppl talked about extraordinary attorney woo!

[@anafj]

Oooh I love this show

[@frogbones4018]

I WATCH THAT TOO! I love that show sm

[@StellaHofmeyr]

Hearing cooper talk about autism when none of my other regular commentary channels have makes me so happy. I am an autistic teenager, but it took be ages to get a diagnosis because “you girl, girls not autistic”. Sincerely, thank you for spreading awareness Also I am a surgeon

[@jaylaalle5827]

as an autistic person who’s never seen the good doctor, you’ve given me a valid reason to never watch the show. i’m also a surgeon btw

[@CleverUsername69420]

Not to sound autistic (/j), but are you actually a surgeon or are you making a joke based on the meme? /gen

[@jaylaalle5827]

@@CleverUsername69420 no, it’s just a joke based on the meme.

[@jenniferrose2360]

@@CleverUsername69420 maybe I’m autistic I find sarcasm hard as fuck to determine. I do have adhd is that linked? Who knows 😂

[@v4mpingz]

@@jenniferrose2360 look into it instead of looking at things on the internet

[@itowitch]

i love beabadoobee in ur pfp

[@G.r.e.g.g.l.e.s]

House was a masterpiece, despite the many infractions and crimes the doctors committed that are just overlooked lol

[@oxygen.poisoning]

i know this comment is old but i so agree and i feel like its partially because of hugh laurie. of course the writing and directing was just better too but he had a certain charisma that ‘shaun’ definitely doesn’t have, and it doesn’t make for an intriguing storyline like house’s arcs did. also, he wasn’t right off the bat “look at this guy he’s so autistic and mean”. he was just a really weird and closed off but very smart dude, and then later people started talking about it. sincerely, an autistic person that has watched both house and the good doctor lol

[@TantaManta]

House is the best tv show ever.

[@oliviagrimes5380]

I AM A SURGEON

[@gia5279]

I AM A SURGEON

[@itsamemario75]

nuh uh

[@theresaweaselinthehallway87-6]

I AM A SURGEON

[@sayansarkar831]

I AM A SURGEON

[@Vanilla637]

*does Dr.Hong’s face *

[@anaditullio]

I mean, just look at Dr. Han's face. He doesn't need to do anything, just stand there existing with his beautiful face despising the Good Doctor LOL

[@convallariahalla]

A good science show with autism representation is Bones! It’s scientifically accurate and Brennan’s autism isn’t explicitly stated in the series but the character was written with being autistic in mind. Her autism isn’t credited as the reason she’s smart, either.

[@cjboyo]

The scientific accuracy is eh, but Bones is the best and I stan

[@convallariahalla]

@@cjboyo sorry let me rephrase LOL scientific accuracy compared to other shows

[@justarandomperson331]

I love bones!! Zack seemed autistic to me as well as Brennan.

[@sienamations7134]

I just now discovered this guy and I feel like I just walked into my grandmas house and am talking with the cool older cousin. And as a person with autism, I can indeed confirm that I am a surgeon.

[@bluesteno64]

FR FR AHAHAHA

[@Finn_nl]

As a person with autism and as a trans person I can confirm that I am in fact, a surgeon

[@Kshahrewa_r]

I second this

[@randomgirl2956]

Best comment ever

[@LucyInTheSky-501]

This is so random, BUT, Cooper's outfit ATE!*no crumbs left* It is so cute and i love the sweater

[@helliumballoons7546]

I’m trans and that episode of The Good Doctor caused a lot of damage in my personal life. I have a few relatives who watch the show and used this as “evidence” to tell me that I’m just “ill in the mind” and that I should “get help” and convinced many other people in my family who didn’t necessarily have an issue with me before. I think show runners just need to be more careful with what they put out into the world, because people are influenced by the media they consume, and misguided messages like this can do a lot of real harm for people like me.

[@nicoles.3583]

Not to mention the whole “xy is a boy, xx is a girl” is false even from a biological view. There are many chromosome variations and they do not necessarily correspond to a particular sex. The way Dr Murphy is speaking about it is very 3rd grade and you would think he would have taken advanced biology as a “genius” doctor. Imo this is a huge oversight in writing and really hurtful. They could’ve actually done the research but they didn’t.

[@duh.iknoweverything1097]

I'm so sorry that happened to you Like people are now soo obsessed with trans people like wtf.

[@NotesNNotes]

This, not trans but relatable in other ways such as mental health / disorders (Autism, ADHD, BPD in my family, etc) Very fucking maddening that they don't take the time to give these things thorough consideration. Edit: sorry I didn't mean to take away from messaging regarding trans persons // at a time like this, that deserves the MOST consideration

[@thwartgorgon6063]

As an autistic person I can tell you the whole asking questions about trans people is very accurate, it's not a diss or anything just general curiosity. The idea of trans people is intriguing for us as it seems strange and alien from what biology says.

[@helliumballoons7546]

@@thwartgorgon6063 I understand that, but there is a difference between asking questions because you genuinely don't understand something and insisting that someone's experience isn't valid and waiting for them to give you a good reason as to why you might be wrong. Also, as much as I am happy to answer questions with people I know, it is not our responsibility to explain our existence to someone we don't know because they haven't educated themselves. Like, I don't know you, why do you think it's just ok to ask me personal questions like that and expectancy answer? No diss to the autistic community the, I am on the spectrum myself, so I do get the desire to understand someone better and the questions just coming out a bit strange, it can just get really uncomfortable.

[@totally_a_real_account7902]

Nah he has the autistic child look: must be a man (women can’t have autism of course), round face, brown hair, white, super genius. I also am also like this. When I got diagnosed I immediately started looking like this.

[@mightymeatymech]

black autistic women getting diagnosed and ascending to White Maledom: 👼🏿👼🏾👼🏽👼🏼👼🏻 LMFAO /j

[@animesloot3177]

Not you adding incorrect commas and semi comas

[@lexxist]

@@animesloot3177 biggest fail ever. you misspelled "commas", meant semi-colon, and your point makes no sense because the original comment uses commas correctly?

[@grumpysphinx4911]

That stereotypical look was part of why I doubted I could be autistic, as an AFAB POC. It's so frustrating. But I'm happy to see more explicit representation of autistic AFABs in media like with Heartbreak High and Young Royals

[@mightymeatymech]

@@lexxist no they're right, they were adding a semi coma. it's a rare Half Comatose state that some people experience 😔😔 /s /nonsense

[@dumbodirectioner28]

As a 15 year old girl with Autism I can assure you I have a medical degree and can perform Brain surgery with my eyes closed :)

[@shrewmii]

how do you have a medical degree at 15😕 also no, legally you can't do that with your eyes closed

[@dumbodirectioner28]

@@shrewmii it’s called sarcasm mate

[@shrewmii]

@@dumbodirectioner28 ironically, I'm autistic and didn't pick up on that💀 that's my bad man

[@dumbodirectioner28]

@@shrewmii I’m autistic and I have an apt to use sarcasm all the time so it’s totally fine 😂😂😂 we’re both two autistics who don’t know wtf is going on

[@shrewmii]

@@dumbodirectioner28 we're The Good Viewers

[@LafeiMcCloud]

I love your vibe so much. The fashion sense is giving me life!!!!! also I had so much second hand embarrassment from the good doctor that I could never watch it.

[@bandit_of_trash]

I sought out my autism diagnosis without telling anyone else because I knew they'd be critical about it. I've been masking my whole life, of course I don't "look" autistic to others - that's the damn point of masking. Got my official diagnosis last November.

[@abbyanderson3679]

Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 🥳

[@tteokbokkibxtch]

Same 💛

[@boxofbugs2292]

congrats!!!

[@kaitlynsullivan2004]

I’m so happy for you ❤️ I recently turned 18 so I’m working on getting mine now

[@dorte3791]

Same whenever i tell someone they completely change their personality it’s so annoying

[@coraolden]

As an individual who is autistic, an avid viewer of The Good Doctor, and currently pursuing a medical degree, I would like to share my thoughts on the show's portrayal of autism. Firstly, I appreciate that certain aspects of the show are relatable and grounded in reality. However, there are a few scenes that depict Dr. Murphy experiencing meltdowns during surgeries. While it is true that individuals with disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum, can excel in important professions such as surgery, it is important to note that engaging in behaviors that disrupt the medical team, such as removing one's medical scrubs mid-operation, would likely result in the suspension of a medical license. Additionally, behaving in a manner that involves screaming at someone in a position of authority would significantly hinder one's chances of retaining their job. Secondly, it is crucial to acknowledge that not all autistic individuals exhibit insulting behavior. While it is true that individuals with autism may face challenges in processing their own emotions and attending to the emotions of others due to sensory processing disorders, this does not inherently make them mean-spirited. Especially when someone grows up in a middle to upper-class environment, as Dr. Murphy did in his later teens, they have access to resources and support systems that can assist them in learning appropriate behavior and emotional processing. It is important to recognize that occasional displays of aggression by Dr. Murphy may be influenced by his past traumas, but it does not justify characterizing him as consistently mean. I understand that autism exists on a spectrum, and I acknowledge that I am speaking from a female perspective while Dr. Murphy is a male character. However, I have two younger autistic brothers whom I have supported in navigating social situations due to my experience with them resulting from my parents' divorce. Although I am not a professional in behavioral health, I can confirm that they are capable of functioning well within society. It is worth noting that individuals with more severe autism may exhibit challenging behaviors, but it is unlikely that they would be employed as surgeons due to the potential liabilities they may pose to a hospital. While The Good Doctor attempts to portray autism, there are certain inaccuracies in its representation. It is crucial to understand that individuals with autism can lead fulfilling lives and succeed in various professions. However, it is important to strike a balance between accurate representation and the expectations of professional conduct. We must avoid generalizations and stereotypes as they perpetuate misunderstandings about autism.

[@poison-LICKTHEPOISON]

Jesus Christ

[@mcblongo487]

Kinda comes with the territory. Read the first six words again:)@VXNIVXNI

[@baddie1shoe]

Are all of the kids in your family Autistic?

[@jamesongillen1608]

I don’t disagree, but can’t help but feel it would be easier if as a society would could just acknowledge that people making movies and tv don’t know everything and that we shouldn’t take them seriously or take anything we see on tv as evidence for the expectations of the real world or other people. It’s just a show, we don’t need to take any part of it and apply it to real life or believe that anything the show is portraying as objectively true whether that be it’s portrayal of autistic people or hospitals in general. You shouldn’t watch Brooklyn 99 and just assume that’s how police stations work or that police are uniformly that goofy/nice to everyone they meet. You shouldn’t watch “Vikings” and take everything in the show as historically accurate or as a genuine representation of their culture.

[@cozmyo]

bro wrote a whole ass essay 😭

[@wirepenn2064]

8:22 “I’m not supposed to be anything” not even… a surgeon?

[@singingofsilver]

But he is a surgeon! _He is a surgeon!_ He is a surgeon, Dr Han!

[@flavianemarques4905]

​@singingofsilver he has a surgeon

[@osheridan]

ASAB

[@thekeydom6671]

@@osheridan DAMN THATS FUNNY

[@Lemon_Sage9999]

​@@singingofsilver 🗿

[@iluvbillieeilish_16]

maybe the good doctor was the friends we made along the way.

[@thebilliespace]

I'm seeing a lot of autistic people that didn't have issues understanding "transness". This was not the case for me. I struggle a lot with abstract complex thoughts and it took me a long while to even grasp the concept of being trans. Of course, now I can identify myself as non-binary and I defend trans people's rights, but it was a whole journey for me to get there.

[@quaygrass6212]

Seek help

[@thebilliespace]

@@quaygrass6212 I...did?

[@quaygrass6212]

@@thebilliespace You identify as non-binary, seek help

[@bubas420]

@@quaygrass6212 bruh what ? 💀 who are you to tell someone else to get help when you don't know they're situation.

[@quaygrass6212]

@@bubas420 They Said their situation

[@adr3nal1ne_rush]

the fact that so many autistic people are also lgbtq but this show acts like *we’re* the ones who don’t understand the concepts of gender and sexuality 💀

[@ashbhabee_536]

not every autistic person is the same and has the same understandings

[@emi-eg9bu]

wait till bro finds out not every autistic person is the same

[@emi-eg9bu]

@@ashbhabee_536 honestly i feel like ppl like this r always preaching about autism but are the first ones to put all autistic people in one box and are like "ermm actually 🤓 *we* dont do / do ___" like WHOS WE 😭anyways

[@boxcutter4]

@@emi-eg9bufr

[@adr3nal1ne_rush]

y’all I said “so many” not “all” 😭

[@zeddpool]

As an Autistic person, Freddie Highmore’s performance is nothing short of caricature. It’s especially frustrating as an Autistic ACTOR because Allistics routinely get chosen over us to play us because we’re seen as somehow less authentic when we play ourselves. Also we’re more likely to BE TRANS than be transphobic, case in point: Me.

[@reedsylvier5250]

Yep yep this, all of this /gen

[@athenajaxon2397]

yeah it's weird because in Bates Motel where he literally plays a mentally ill serial killer he gives a much more subtle performance I guess the showrunners wanted some over the top dramatic moment

[@cynister7384]

@@athenajaxon2397 Maybe they view being a mentally ill serial killer as somehow "less extreme" than being autistic, which is a whole another can of worms.

[@jasperjazzie]

the way he talks is in such a stilted almost robotic way and it feels like mocking...there's talking in monotone which a lot of us do and then there's whatever the hell he's got going on there...no one actually talks like that

[@leplep404]

​@@jasperjazzie that's not true. There are autistic people who have an odd rhythm or repetitive speach pattern (usually folks on the "lower end" of the spectrum). I understand that it's not common to come across but there are people like that

[@kpopplanet2907]

THE EDITS MAKE THE SHOW TEN TIMES FUNNIER, I'M CRACKING UP

[@Mr.Pallanza]

5:15 *_Sir, a SECOND surgeon has hit the towers_* is FUCKING SENDING ME 😂

[@CelesteCampaign]

I'm baffled how nobody balmes the script directors and writers and blames the actor who just acted what the script said -

[@sillyguy247]

allistic people shouldn't act as autistic characters.

[@CelesteCampaign]

@hopeywopey Ah yes, and a non serial killer should not act as a serial killer in a series because that is flawed. When it is a work of fiction that is based on a present reality, actors are hired to play diverse roles. And just because they don't fit its criteria doesn't mean they can't act. It is their job.

[@naomi5328]

@@CelesteCampaignno, you shouldn’t hire a member of the majority to play a minority, end of story. non-disabled people should not be playing disabled characters

[@CelesteCampaign]

@naomi5328 They way I see it. Acting is a role that you do to get a salary and make a living. A role is a role. I don't care that its minority or majority. I just watch a series because I enjoy the performance. Which stops at that, *a performance* not deemed to be 100% real

[@ameliasellers6396]

​@@CelesteCampaign Someone playing a serial killer, which is an action, is far different than playing someone with a specific and marginalized identity.

[@depresseddiver]

Maybe Dr Han was the friends we made along the way

[@lilqueerfrog]

"i am a surgeon, dr. han" he said calmly also nice pfp :)

[@dmplacencia]

The real Dr Han was the lesson we learned along the way

[@relytreep2819]

“Even if you’re autistic, you can still be a good person” had me, an autistic person, on the ground laughing

[@queencobrra]

As a trans woman who has lived with her autistic cousin for over two years, I can confirm that he was one of my most adamant supporters and loved correcting people for misgendering me (he’s only 9) Not saying he is every autistic person, but neither is the good doctor.

[@sierraramrattan5164]

ugh how sweet 🥹🥹

[@frogg_tv4774]

My brother is autistic and trans! I don’t get why he (Shawn) couldn’t understand trans people because he was autistic?? Plus before my brother found out he was trans, he defended his trans and gay friends because he understood what they went through in the world yk? I don’t get why that was included in the show

[@CarlytheQueenofChaos]

@@frogg_tv4774 There is an entire case study and meta study rabbit hole about autism being correlated with genderqueerness. Neurodivergents actually are 100 times more often trans than neurotypicals.

[@cheeseboy1505]

Yeah my friends that are trans are mostly autistic so I’m like damn ig you broke a stereotype by playing into another stereotype

[@Milk73278]

my brother has autism, but hes low functioning, and i think if i tried to show the concept of trans he wouldnt understand and might even sound transphobic but like you said, that doesnt mean every autistic person is like that

[@nont18411]

Love how this show handles autism by making Shaun becoming more and more insufferable over time and keep using his condition as an excuse for his behavior. (The worst one was when he acted really petty and insulted his intern who lost her leg too much to the point that she called him out for being condescending and treating her as someone different just like how everyone else treats him)

[@reignblight]

this is obv late but when you said "the point she's making" i thought you were going to say "actually right" and my heart sank 10:30

[@mitheryan1491]

As an autistic person, this show and shows like it are a lot of why I have to untangle these false perceptions of autism with my family and others, its sad that people have such little understanding of the various neurotypes that exist. I love you and your videos, thank you for spreading the message that autism has not been represented well and that these shows are damaging af ❤

[@Mariasifjons]

But not all people with autism are the same

[@sofiah.5820]

​@@Mariasifjonsobviously, but the thing with the good doctor is that it relies heavily on his autism being an excuse. They show him being a bad person and blame it on him being autistic, which just doesn't make sense and is bad representation in general.

[@blondymonk1535]

@@sofiah.5820 Not true at all.

[@hatsterical2475]

​@@sofiah.5820they show him having a lack of understanding that some autistic people may have, to certain social concepts. He learns that he shouldn't act on all of his hard wired concepts, and beliefs, and he progresses. This isn't a 'bad person' this is a person who is learning. I'm both trans/nonbinary, and autistic, and there was a time where I was stuck on gender and sex not being something you can seperate. That didn't make me a bad person, that made me a misinformed person who happened to be autistic and however autism corresponded with me at the time, did not help me get a grasp on gender quickly. I eventually did, though. It just took me a while. That's not an excuse but a reason I was like that, because for some autistic people social concepts can just be so hard to grasp or reflect on, and some of us may be slower at it than others. This show is far from perfect, but you got to remember that when you reflect on a character representing an entire varied group of people you need to be careful how you discuss it, and clearer about what a bad person even is in this case. It's a precarious blanket term 'bad person' when talking about a difference in neurotype, even if there are definitely bad people who are also autistic existing in this world. If you throw it around willy nilly it makes it easier to get stuff tangled up, and people who are misinformed might misconstrue it as having autistic symptoms makes you inherently bad, since they have a poor understanding of what can be helped and what can't be. I wouldn't call him bad rep for his character itself, but because of how the hospital staff react around him. As the show goes on too you get to feel a bit like he's a set piece, and it isn't great the actor is not autistic. But you should know that some (not all) autistic people do see themselves in him, if you don't know already! Idk if you're autistic or not too, but whether you are or aren't all that's good to keep in mind at least when talking about the subject.

[@LilRedWitch]

May I suggest the show extraordinary attorney woo ☺️ my friends who are autistic said that show was a great representation of how autism works in a professional setting (this being a lawyer based show). It’s a great counter to this show and I found myself not only loving attorney woo in the show, but learning a LOT about ASD without even knowing it! Not to mention it has hilarious moments as well as very intense ones as well. 🫶🏻

[@YourLocalCheshireCat]

My mom won’t even get me tested for autism because she watched the good doctor and now an time I say anything she’ll disprove it by pointing out a random thing the good doctor has or said to disprove it…

[@dorcasmalahlela2805]

Don't talk with her about it. What I had to do was not talk about my mental illness with family until I could find a way to make them relate. It's a weird thing, that took me years to realize : you cannot make someone understand, and you can only do you. In hospital, I realised we are taught all these for our functioning and improvement, but 'neurotypical' people never have to learn. BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THESE SKILLS EITHER. Just do you. If you find a moment where you can explain something, try.

[@Eruza9306]

I'm so sorry, that's awful.

[@sophitiaofhyrule]

This is why The Good Doctor isn't "just a show". It harms so many people

[@snakewithscoliosis8009]

Dude I’m autistic and idk why so many people think autistic people are super geniuses. Because I’m a complete dumbass who thought the phrase “just asking for a friend” was literally asking for someone to be their friend 😭 like can you imagine someone saying, “hey do you know anyone that’s a drug dealer? Just asking for a friend, I’m so lonely please be my friend.” Edit: thx for 69 likes haha

[@igtut1]

I'm pretty smart, and I recently learned that calling someone "hot" isn't as figurative as I assumed. I think I went in the opposite direction from you. I realized that other people aren't as literal as us, so I just assumed everything was metaphorical. 🤣

[@Devilish.Kitten]

i also always thought that 💀 it took me so long to realise

[@yeenbean3318]

Dude a lot of times I can't tell the difference between when people are joking and when they're insulting me, so my coping mechanism is just take everything as a joke and not take it personally even if I'm being hella insulted.

[@why_met_t6026]

I thought " an Apple to my eye" meant a really nicely shined Apple. but it doesn't then why say Apple when don't mean Apple 🧐

[@redvelvetdewdrops]

that doesn't make you dumb!! not understanding idioms is a major sign of autism but has no correlation to your intelligence. i do that a lot too as people say things to me and i can sort of get the idea but will spend the next 20 mins overthinking the literal meaning of it

[@ApatheticMoth]

Honestly I realllllyyyy appreciate the term autism spectrum because like, my and my buddy are both on it but also both have basically completely different experiences with it you know? Literally night and day, just with shared factors influencing it.

[@PunkAndMetalEnjoyer]

As a person without autism, I can confirm that I am NOT a surgeon, doctor Han.

[@SolaGratia.]

My daughter is autistic and she loved the show for the first couple of seasons before covid hit. I think it was inspiring to her to see someone on the spectrum become successful and learn how to better understand social cues from a cast full of patient, loving and understanding people. Autism is a spectrum, so it looks different in everyone, but my daughter found his characters mishaps and outbursts as honest mistakes and therefore, really relatable.

[@loststars6533]

This show is actually based off a K-drama called "Good Doctor," and I think the original handled the character better. The actor who played him spent a lot of time at centres that provide support for those with autism, so he could more accurately and respectfully reflect different mannerisms and speech patterns of someone who is higher-level autistic. (For anyone unfamiliar with K-dramas but considering trying the original, it's a bit 'cornier' throughout, compared to its American counterpart. But it's still a great watch, imo ^^)

[@XXmacy_wacyXX]

As someone on the spectrum... I just really like spiderman and when someone asks me about it I say everything I know

[@pinkdragon4830]

What do you know about Spider-Man?

[@morganmurner1581]

I think the show would’ve benefitted greatly from another character who could act as sort of a foil to Dr. Murphy, a character who is also autistic, but better socialized and having gone through therapy as a way of translating the way neurotypicals think into autistic methods of understanding, and could then explain things to Shawn in a way he could understand. It would help greatly if this character’s actor was irl autistic, and so the audience would see multiple examples of representation in the show. Meltdowns such as the one depicted in the meme are completely normal (for lack of a better word. They aren’t good or anything.) in autistic people (I speak from my own experience as an autistic person) when overstimulated and upset. I feel someone should have sat Shawn down and explained that gender is a social construct, different but sometimes overlapping with biological sex, that not every person is physically structured as male or female (intersex people exist), and that people exist outside the gender binary in their identity. As someone raised in a sheltered household, it took me a while to separate my simplified upbringing with the complexity of reality outside my house, but as an adult I’ve expanded my horizons and met many wonderful people who identify in different ways, and even explored my own identity and sexuality. This show could use more nuance.

[@rorygilmorelove6]

There is another Autistic character lol

[@rosalindmccollum6012]

I would probably actually watch the show if they had that kind of character, because some of the clips I've seen seem good (as an autistic person who is relativley well scoialized) it just seems to have a complete lack of aurtistic people writing it.

[@syl59281]

Those are some great ideas! 🙂

[@marielaberge8236]

They had a foil for Shaun early on in the first season but it was the opposite of what you proposed: a patient whose autism was more severe, limiting his socialization. Shaun's colleagues were surprised that Shaun didn't display personal interest in the case since they expected him to have unique insight due to his autism. Shaun ended up pointing out autism is a spectrum and the patient's struggles were his own, not at all comparable to Shaun's own. Essentially told his colleagues' that their attitude was actually disrespectful towards both of them, unprofessional even. Also, the parents' only first-hand experience with autism came from their son, so they also had a bias (much like Shaun's colleagues) that, in their case, made them doubt Shaun's abilities as a doctor because of his autism. He recognized that being the doctor on the case was actually causing the patient's parents significant distress because they couldn't help but see that their son's autism would never allow him to live independantly and have the kind of career Shaun had.

[@rosalindmccollum6012]

@@marielaberge8236 Damn, that would have been an awesome episode. I would've loved that.

[@PilotTechnonomicon]

Apparently around the rest of the world this show was getting memed on too and my friend found this incomprehensible image of the good doctor with a caption in Chinese that basically says "amputate everything below the neck" and it's one of the funniest stickers on my discord server at the moment

[@momozoideee]

I NEED THAT STICKER😨😨😨

[@LettuceWrapMe]

no because i unironically watched this a few years ago and thought that it was good.

[@puggie3360]

tbh same but that’s just bc i thought the actor was hot

[@angrygrouch]

I watched like half of the series and liked it but mainly because it was quite funny and i was in a medical show phase. i had binged all of greys anatomy lol

[@kovacsannamaria5834]

same

[@ivyinabottle]

I watched the first few seasons but it’s because of Freddie Highmore lol

[@justwonder1404]

Same, checked out after one of the main actors left, because his character was actually more interesting to watch than the protagonist.

[@ansianeedsgrass]

I strive to be as unbothered as Dr. Han

[@miagrayce98]

My mom suspected when my brother was really young that he had autism, and every single therapist she took him to dismisses the idea completely because on the outside he functioned "normally" in their words. My mom fought for him every year of his life, and finally she found someone who listened to her and got him tested. Turned out he did have autism, and he was living with it undiagnosed for 14 years and my mom had to work tirelessly in his favour. I'm glad he didn't he to grow up with it and have an experience where my parents didn't believe him if he got diagnosed late

[@Heretowatchvideos123]

She’s a great mom

[@stuckatthevalley]

Such a true story 😐

[@Hellachoppa-oi2ek]

false positives my guy

[@Lee-wf4kr]

12:11 I have this exact issue. One time I was like "I think I'm on the spectrum" to my parents and my mom just (very judgementally) said "you don't have autism" and refused to talk about it anymore

[@calci2679]

I have an autistic older sister. I am not too much like her but I believe I am on the spectrum. My Mom (who is lovely btw but also flawed, such as any human) pointed that out as a reason why she didn't (and still doesn't) think I was (am).

[@Lee-wf4kr]

@@calci2679 Oh no, that's unfortunate, I'm so sorry. It's harder for older generations to understand that kind of stuff and that's really difficult, it sucks

[@hyperacid809]

its so funny how multiple autistic people I've talked to about good representation in media always criticize shows like this (which were basically ment to raise awareness but failed misserably) and instead point at characters who were never ment to be autistic from shows that have nothing to do with autism and somehow managed to represent them 100 times better

[@susanelizabeth1246]

Good vid as always Cooper, but ong, his bangs look so cute when they make a heart

[@belledamer89]

The spectrum is really vast because every individual is different. Personally as someone of the spectrum with my traits, I related to a lot of Shawn's traits. I don't think there will ever be a show with the perfect representation but this show was really comforting for me, sucks that it made so many other people uncomfortable.

[@jupiter765]

As a trans autistic person myself, I’m incredibly confused about why they decided to make him a transphobe. Most autistic people I know are under the trans umbrella, and/or have the understanding of gender that it’s something that doesn’t make sense for us personally. I don’t know if anyone agrees but still. Absolutely insane they made him act like that.

[@EnyaShello]

I need you to understand just because most autistic ppl you know are under that umbrella doesn’t mean most autistic ppl are…you and others tend to be friends with like minded people I have adhd and everyone I know with adhd including myself is LGBTQ but that is no way at all indicates that most ADHDers are LGBTQ…I am just more likely to be friends with neurodivergent people with similar sexuality lol Classic confirmation bias

[@FabulousSquidward]

Statistically something like 40% of autistic kids are gender diverse. We autistics see through social constructs more easily than others.

[@emi-eg9bu]

because not all autistic people are the same.

[@valguero7256]

hes literally just being realistic not transphobic

[@ghostieyog6445]

Autistic person here. Gender doesnt make sense to me, separating things by gender even more so(e.g pink for girls, trucks for boys etc). Personally my pronouns go off what ones I just feel more comfy using in dialect as opposed to what I was born as physically or wish to become physically. I feel like fussing too much over what someones gender is happens to be a massive waste of time. Autistic people aren't dumb, nor are they transphobes because theyre autistic. A transphobe is a transphobe because they're bigoted, not because they're autistic.

[@phaeste]

I am 99% sure that "The Good Doctor" watches Ben Shapiro in universe, he just gives me that vibe Edit: also neurodivergent people are more likely to be trans than neurotypical people so it makes incredibly little sense that the "autistic doctor" would not understand the difference between gender and sex

[@KAITLYN-wq2rq]

I have seen with autism people who accept lgbt and those who don’t in an after school therapy thing before. The show could cause people to have assumptions though.

[@LithiumisLife]

My autistic brother has zero understanding about trans people. He isn’t a hateful person. He doesn’t go up to transgender people and start debates. My brother knows a lot about a lot of things because research is his favourite thing. He understands mental illness. He understands brain injuries and their impact. He understands the impact of upbringings. He understands people having different personalities. He doesn’t understand much why people have different beliefs because he feels like if they had all the facts, they have the same opinion that he has. My brother has no interest in relationships of any nature besides family. He doesn’t understand gays, straights, or anything else related to sexuality. He REALLY doesn’t understand why people with gender dysphoria have societies support in identifying with their preferred gender. He believes that people are their chromosomes and that their brain chemistry has nothing to do with their medical care. Like I said, my brother isn’t hateful, he doesn’t hate anyone in LGBTQ. He just really doesn’t understand. If he was a doctor, I’m sure he’d do the same thing. He wouldn’t understand why when talking about illnesses specific to a gender, that people’s identity would trump biology. For the record, he’s also got schizophrenia. That affects him and his beliefs a lot as well. So it’s not just autism. Still, I don’t think it’s fair that people are labelling the doctor as hateful. He’s not trying to hurt anyone. It’s not hate. He just straight up doesn’t understand, and I don’t think it’s fair to label him as anything negative because of a brain chemistry out of his control. (I know the show is fake. There are just a lot of comments saying very negative things. I’ve been in psych wards with people with all kinds of brain chemistry and beliefs. It’s just as much in their control as gender dysphoria. And nobody should get hate for that either)

[@Kat-tc8bc]

I have level 2 autism, and honestly, a lot of traits portrayed in the good doctor is pretty on par with my experience as a high support needs autistic. That being said, its pretty unrealistic for a high support needs autistic to be a surgeon... Yes, its not impossible, but being a doctor requires a lot of good "bedside manner" and the ability to interact and communicate with distressed people on a day-to-day basis. I know plenty of autistic people who are able to do so, but even then holding down a part-time customer service job is incredibly difficult for them (myself included, I cannot work at all). Also i do not agree with the fact that a non-autistic actor is playing an autistic character, and that they didn't consult any autistic people during the filming, because while I may relate to some of Shawns behaviours, it just feels like a mockery in the end. But I do see a lot of people saying things like "oh this is NOT how autistic people act AT ALL! people who act like this are a mockery of autism!" and sayings stuff like that is really really harmful because its basically making fun of and dismissing high support needs autistics who absolutely do/can act like this. edit to add: I've never actually watched the show before, and it sucks how they made it seem like his autism is what makes him a shitty person. People are shitty people and autism doesn't affect that. I can maybe see how the trans thing happened, as if he's fixated on the biological aspect and the biological aspect alone, he may not know that gender and sex are two separate things. That mixed with the fact that gender is a social construct and something that a lot of autistic people don't really conform to/understand (like me for example, I don't get gender so I just identify as agender). That is what I would think if this was an actual autistic person, but the good doctor does not have any autistic influence/involvement so basically I blame the writers for making autism seem like it makes people horrible people.

[@cjboyo]

Yeah that’s my thoughts as well. I think a better way to do it would be someone more like myself who is a level 1 autistic person, but tends to be low resiliency in stressful situations and stops being able to mask well when tired. There could be an interesting push/pull there of the program having to flex to meet the characters needs, but also the character having to learn better bedside manner, better resiliency skills, etc.

[@jasperjazzie]

there's a difference between not understanding gender or whatever (which tbh in itself i hate ppl saying that neurodivergent people don't "understand" gender and acting like we're too dumb to get it or something) and being a transphobic asshole though

[@AmandaDixson]

He's high functioning... and a savant. That is why he is a surgeon. I haven Savant syndrome. I act just like him, and I dont always need bedside manner help. Fortunately for myself, I was raised to be typical, and was diagnosed twice in life; as an 8yr old child, and as a 34yr old adult. The point of the show and him acting in that way, is to show that we have people in the community that outwardly are awkward but on the inside if given the chance, can show they are extremely intellegent and can act accordingly. It's all about the wall of social constructs.

[@DaisyDoodles]

I agree with what you wrote. I just wanted to add on to your comment. For me, I have level 1 ASD and I can usually work remote jobs and manage myself. But I don't EVER tell anyone that I'm autistic, and i think this show portraying someone openly autistic in a working environment is what's so incredibly unrealistic. Society is very hostile and not understanding of autistic people and 85% of autistic people are unemployed. The good doctor would never be hired in the first place because of his autism. I kind of feel like this show is rubbing his employment into the face of autistic people in a way? and I feel like it just communicates this message and idea that this is how all autistic people behave in the workplace and we're always a liability and i feel like it just makes us less employable. :(

[@hyenaloaf1858]

​@@AmandaDixson he almost got someone killed. The point is he should be kept from actually performing surgery until he improves his bedside manner and more importantly shows an ability to CONSISTENTLY work well under stress

[@human_being404]

i am autistic, i’ve always been quite similar to this character and i love the show because i feel less alone. i don’t think i have savant syndrome but i guess you could say i’m sort of knowledgeable. i have always been able to relate with shawn and i think the actor does a pretty good job of portraying someone who is autistic, he acts, speaks, and thinks just like me! but let’s think here, can any singular person portray millions of extremely different autistic people? absolutely not. the spectrum is so vast, it’s impossible to do that. but can he portray one (at least)? yeah, because he can portray me. i know a lot of autistic people hate on this show, but it makes me feel warm inside.

[@redvelvetdewdrops]

finally another autistic person who doesn't hate this show. it has its poor moments but overall, is not as bad as people act like it is. there are autistic people who don't act like shaun, but there are some that do. everyone seems to have forgotten what a spectrum is.

[@human_being404]

@@redvelvetdewdrops exactly!! you’re so right, it may create a sort of stigma just because the show is so popular but that still doesn’t mean NO autistic people are like shawn!

[@xcelestialsongx]

THANK YOU. This comment section is so insane.

[@raxo8277]

I agree completely

[@jennybiddle-smiley7173]

I am a mamma with a little on the spectrum and I loved this show because I see so much of my little man’s characteristics. What it really helped me empathize with is the difficulty of living and being in our world when you think and behave differently then the majority of society. I think individuals who have an easier time masking forget that even though it doesn’t represent them it represents some on the spectrum. My son is two so I’m still learning the language of phrasing of all this in a way that’s is not offensive. I’m glad to see that their are some on the spectrum who felt validated. Otherwise I was going to feel really bad for enjoying the show so much.

[@Sageofspades]

Me: an autistic trans person, immediately becoming cishet bc the good doctor says I can’t understand trans ppl

[@Kitthecatgod]

Lmfao relatable

[@Montesama314]

"I am SPONGEBOB!" "No, this is Patrick."

[@frenchcrowgirl]

as a 15yo non binary autistic person, i can confirm that i am a transphobic surgeon

[@redlocksgay]

lmao

[@rottenkittenparvo]

of course youre non binary lmaooo

[@redlocksgay]

@@rottenkittenparvo why is that funny if you don’t mind me asking?

[@rottenkittenparvo]

@@redlocksgay all of the non binary and neo pronouns users are autistic, neurodivergent, mentally disabled

[@breederofmen]

@@rottenkittenparvonon binary people are cool 😝