Dungeons and Dragons is Autistic (Episode 39)

A: First year I played was like 1985. M: Oh, yeah. A: And my mom was 100% sure it’s a satanic cult. M: Yeah.

• Tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons cater to many autistic people's strengths, such as:

  • Appreciation for intricate rule systems, statistics, and logic

  • Monotropic focus and special interests

  • Pattern recognition and world-building skills

• D&D provides a structured, inclusive environment for autistic individuals to socialize and engage in shared storytelling with confidence.

• The game design encourages players to embrace differences rather than mask them, including the recent introduction of a canonically autistic character.

• Historic moral panics around D&D illustrate misunderstandings and ableism towards autistic interests, but the game's recent mainstream popularity signals a shift towards greater acceptance.

• Families of autistic individuals can recognize intense gaming interests as valuable tools for connection and community-building.

• Embracing neurodiversity, the tabletop roleplaying experience allows autistic people to thrive by playing to their unique strengths.

Who’s your character in D&D? Do you have a multi-year game going?

• Superheroes are Autistic - Episode 28 which discusses Conan the Barbarian

• The Trouble With Temple - Episode 24 which discusses Temple Grandin

• D&D players save the world on Netflix’s Stranger Things

• Little Wars: A Game for Boys of Twelve Years of Age to One Hundred and Fifty and for that More Intelligent Sort of Girl Who Likes Boys' Games and Books

• Study: Screen time and diagnoses of anxiety and depression in autistic versus neurotypical youth

• The Ancient Origins of Dice

• A Dice Tower from Richborough

• Dice History, Invention & Games

• Rise of the Dungeon Master - Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D: graphic-novel biography

• Inside the 40 Year-Long Dungeons & Dragons Game : Youtube(10 mins 44 secs)

• Dungeons & Dragons introduces its first canonically autistic character

• How autism powers my D&D: D&D allows me to connect with my friends in a way I couldn’t before

• Therapeutic social confidence building game: Critical Core

Related episodes…Want to learn about more Autistic activities popular among children and adults? Episodes 16: Pokémon is Autistic and Episode 31: Chess is Autistic

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