***ASC = AUTISTIC SPECTRUM CONDITION ; ASD = AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER .
in reference to REID’S AUTISTIC TENDENCIES ( which i’ve mentioned as undiagnosed asperger’s syndrome ) :
firstly , it’s mentioned multiple times in show canon that he may be autistic , right from the beginning . in 1x05 , he’s described by the unsub as having ‘ autistic leanings ’ , && all the way through the show he maintains a rain - man - esque way of being .
secondly , i’d like to direct you to THIS POST , which puts the theory into words && provides more references than i could ever hope to . as an aspie myself , what it boils down to is that throughout the seasons , reid exhibits classic symptoms of asperger’s syndrome , most notably :
- stimming : subconscious movement as a self - soothing or thinking mechanism . this can be seen multiple times , in the ways he paces back && forth when thinking , rocking / spinning his chair , often finding things to occupy his hands while speaking , && flapping / fiddling with his hands while speaking .
- megasavant / human calculator : people with asperger’s syndrome have a much higher likelihood of having a genius level iq than neurotypical people , && form obsessions easily - particularly obsessions with mathematics && the sciences . as shown by his phds ( mathematics , chemistry , engineering ) , && by his constant tendency to state pure facts && statistics , he clearly shares this trait . eidetic memory is also often more likely in those with asperger’s .
- trouble processing emotions / social cues : people with asc have extensive trouble with understanding other people’s emotions , && with processing their own , making them appear cold or unfeeling - hence his level of clinical detachment from crime scenes && witnesses . reid has , on multiple occasions , diverted emotional questions or bypassed someone else’s emotion with statistics && facts , showing how he hasn’t yet processed enough what he feels - aspies tend to be confused by emotion , && find solace in cold fact . the way reid processes emotion on a raw level appears almost child - like - he struggles to control , understand , && explain , which is something neurotypical people tend to learn at some point during adolescence . in reference to social cues , he often rambles until one of the other members of the team tells him to stop , && says what he thinks when he thinks it . he’s got better through the seasons ( aspies often slowly observe && learn behavior , as opposed to naturally gathering it during adolescence ) , but when he’s more distressed / distracted , it becomes far more obvious . furthermore , he avoids eye contact ( more noticeable in earlier seasons ; only occurs in later seasons when he’s distressed / distracted , due to learned behavior ) , which is a big part of having asc . he also doesn’t appear to socialize outside of work , which shows low social skills .
- hypersensitivity to touch / sound : when it comes to touch , he rarely initiates contact , evidenced especially in how every member of the team will lean in to shake hands on meeting law enforcement , && he stands away , hands often in pockets , && nods ( again , more in earlier seasons ) . he almost never handcuffs suspects ( the one time he does , he doesn’t have his own handcuffs && has to borrow morgan’s ) , && he rarely hugs his friends , && he mostly wear his watch over his clothing . when it comes to sound , often in interrogations etc . , he is seen to jump rather recognizably at sudden / unexpected loud noises .
- it’s also my personal experience that those with high - functioning asc try their best to understand the behavior of more neurotypical people - they study the way humans behave in order to better understand && emulate human emotion to appear more normal . it’s my headcanon that this is a part of why he joined the bau , && got two further bachelor’s degrees in sociology && psychology - to further understand what his condition kept him naturally learning && understanding .
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