#cause i dont feel like debating this unsolicited right now. dont have the spoons.

[aroaceleovaldez]

"extremely autistic coded" no he's not?? And before you get pissy, I'M autistic. I'm all for representation, but claiming characters that are blatantly not fitting just sucks. I want rep to be right and accurate, not just some random character bc he's everyone's favourite. Hell, if Rick said he was, I'd be pissed bc it'd be the shittiest, most inaccurate portrayal ever.

....i'm. also autistic. I say Nico is autistic-coded because he shares a lot of traits that I do, as an adhd and autistic person. Specifically traits that I was literally told are diagnosis criteria. Yes, autism isn't one-size-fits-all, but ultimately, objectively, Nico does fit the criteria. He's canonically ADHD, and autism and ADHD often have comorbidity. He has several traits common to autism that are looked at when diagnosing autism.

Also, coding isn't the same as representation or headcanons. Coding is implied in the text, intentionally or not, but not explicitly confirmed. If it were confirmed, it would be representation. If it weren't in the text, it would be a headcanon. I've analyzed this series to the moon and back. I don't say "Nico is coded as autistic" without meaning it. It's also important to note recurring themes the first three books in the original series (in which Rick was focusing heavily on themes of learning disabilities) - TLT introduces Percy and Annabeth, who are ADHD and dyslexic. Sea of Monsters introduces Tyson, who's coded as having down syndrome. Then Titan's Curse introduces Nico, who's coded as autistic. There's a pattern that can be used to back up the claims of subtext. There is a basis. Is this coding good? Are they accurate or offensive portrayals of those learning disabilities? Those are literary arguments that get to occur jumping off of that subtext. You're absolutely welcome to your own opinions, and these types of literary debates are good! But ultimately, the fact is that the subtext is there and your opinions are opinions based off of that subtext.

Also, Nico isn't everyone's favorite. He's just a major recurring character. Nico and Leo both have autistic coding- heck, you could argue Annabeth does as well! That's like saying "Reyna can't have aspec coding because she's everyone's favorite" just because she's also a major recurring character.

You're welcome to debate and have your own opinions, but that's what making your own blog is for. Or joining a book club. This blog is my blog and I talk about Nico (and Leo, and sometimes Annabeth) being autistic here, based on my own experiences as an autistic person. Complain about it on your own blog, not in my inbox.