* 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
* Study: Screen time and diagnoses of anxiety and depression in autistic versus neurotypical youth
* 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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* Matt’s social media: Autistic Connections Facebook Group
* AngelaLauria.com and Difference Press
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* TACP’s Autism-affirming TeePublic merch shop