unamedwatcher:

thelulusoldier:

phinarei:

cxsmictxy:

“ok but what if aliens are baffled by [neurotypical able-bodied human thing]?!”

Fam you know autistic ppl exist and you seem completely fucking alien to us even though we live on the same planet right

I say that if we’re going to write this “humans are space orcs” shit we’re gonna do it while being inclusive as possible and say that neurodivergent/disabled humans are more easily understood by these aliens of yours. Because they, too, are baffled by all of these things I have legit seen people writing stories about aliens experiencing for the first time and going ?????? or !!!!?!?!??:

• Sarcasm
• Facial expressions
• Quirks of speech
• Verbal speech
• Slang
• Social norms
• Various types of sensory input being insufficient, or actually physically painful
• A seemingly endless reserve of energy and attention
• Physical hardiness
• Being able to eat just about anything
• Bureaucracy
• Extroversion
• Introversion
• Going against rules/structures
• Deviating from a routine

And these aliens are like yes, finally, a human we relate to. A human we can communicate/coexist with comfortably. We like this human. 

I’m lacking in spoons to write about this in detail but feel free if you wanna

Autistic spectrum people as ambasaders to alien races 2kforever.

Seriously, can we do something on this? Can the new Star Trek work this in? Because I find it super exciting.

And since autism runs the gamut of “strange” behaviors, there is no end to the possibilities! Flat affect would work super well with Vulcans. Obsessive behaviors would give people a bargaining position with Ferengi. And someone’s special interest being Klingons would make relations much easier since they could memorize and use all of the cultural traps.

And that’s just Star Trek. What about making a species that would find stinking and flappy hands a compliment? Oooh! The Elcor from Mass Effect would probably find the lack of needing facial nuances and tone relaxing!

There are millions of ways that we could make autism, not savantism that gets used now but realistic autism, as a useful trait in space. Every ship would need a team of autistic people as first contact ambasaders.

@rustingroses
@snowbunnystudios
@shieldshawk
@breelandwalker

Autistic people historically have made great explorers.
“I don’t like being around all these people. I’ma just… go. Just take a dog and go live with the animals. Just wander around and not come back to humanity for months at a time. That sounds good. If and when I do come back, expect the world’s most detailed reports and/or drawings on every new plant and animal and rock I came across. Kbainow.”