If the ‘Word of God’ counts for anything, according to Bill Prady, he isn’t autistic, but that’s only because the writers don’t want to have that as a restriction on how they represent him.
Source: Reader mail: Does Sheldon from 'Big Bang Theory' have Asperger's? - nj.com
Hence the idea that he’s on the autism spectrum. Especially since even what he does learn gets forgotten in the moment or put aside due to something more important. People on the spectrum supposedly have to learn social skills the way someone else would learn to play the piano, and have issues with fixations.
But he’s also kinda special in that he’s gotten so far without learning them, even just for himself by researching it–the same way you can learn some piano by yourself.
Not saying you’re on the spectrum, BTW. I can relate to not knowing what to do, too, but mine’s more due to social anxiety–a problem I’ve had all my life, unlike my current issues.
I wouldn’t take offense even if you were. I know that I’m weak on social skills, but it’s never been anything I’ve gotten a professional diagnosis on. For all I know, maybe I am on the autism spectrum, but I don’t see how knowing that would make much difference to me: Whether I’m considered on the spectrum or not, the result is the same, that I have to work harder on my social skills, and rely on them less, than some people do.
Sheldon’s problem is exacerbated by selfishness and ego, he is very intelligent, could certainly observe and practice is social skills more, but he’s rarely interested in doing so. We can see that he recalls the lessons drilled into him from his mother and perhaps his Meemaw also, but he’s likely to practice what he’s learned from his friends.
I always figured, on the “final episode” they all happen to encounter some new guy at the beginning of his professional/academic career…TBBT:TNG if you will…and notice some familiar traits about him.
“Oh, I have Asperger’s Syndrome,” he says.
“Uh, what is that?” they say.
“Oh, its a high functioning autism…we have problems deciphering or people and social interactions, rigid dedication to routine, inability to recognise when others are NOT as focused as you are when you’re really interested in something…”
(gasp) THAT’S what Sheldon has! It’s an actual THING!!
Oh, and Howard gets his Doctorate, or something.
See, I’d love to see Leonard and Penny buy a house, and Sheldon moves out (ala Friends). Then in the final scene, a couple of girl-nerds move in and some hunk moves into Penny’s old place.
Maybe too predictable.
I can’t see Sheldon ever moving (“I have a perfectly fine apartment. Why would I move?”), even if Leonard and Penny manage to extricate themselves. Sheldon would merely interview a new roommate, potentially Amy.
That would be a major addendum to the relationship agreement . . .
I would love to see Benedict Cumberbatch be a guest star as Sheldon’s brother. He reminded me so much of Sheldon in The Imitation Game.
To a certain extent, in the early seasons Sheldon was on the autism spectrum in many ways. But not nearly all the time.
As the show went on, his personality issues went all over the place. The writers went for the Rule Of Funny. They put into Sheldon’s mouth whatever they needed to get a joke. He’s basically somewhere in the dissociative identity disorder world now. He’s displaying different personality characteristics in various situations. (But this also applies to most of the characters on the show as well.)
I also have no reason to believe that Leonard’s siblings are well-balanced. Leonard is successful. About all we know about them is they too are successful. Seems hardly a basis for concluding they have fewer problems than Leonard.
If Sheldon were identified as being on the autism spectrum, everyone would argue “that’s not how autism works” over every little thing.
Plus, do you really want to be entertained by “the daily struggles of a man with autism to function in the world, and of his friends to be supportive”?
Eccentrics are funny. People with autism are not.
According to Sheldon’s mom, her other kids are “dumb as soup.”
Odd that she would say that, since Missy seemed pretty sharp to me. :o
Have we heard anything about Missy since that one episode?
She had a baby. Sheldon was there for the birth. He was not happy.
Maybe the father influenced her opinion.
There’s a word for displaying different personality characteristics in various situations, but it isn’t “dissociative identity disorder”. It’s “normal”. Everyone does that.
They never showed Missy, so I assume the actress was unavailable. She married a motorcycle mechanic, IIRC.
It always seemed to me that Leonard’s parents raised him as a test subject, not as a child they cared about. Sure, they cared for him; they fed and clothed him etc., but they didn’t care ABOUT him.
I laughed at “Enola Straight” way harder than I should have.
Leonard admits to as much several times. Some of his moms books are about experiments she did on Leonard.
Genius right? I wish I had thought of something clever.