Dungeons and Dragons is Autistic (Episode 39)

* 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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