#i hope we keep getting better and better representation for adhd mikey in the future

[temunitu]

So I just watched tmnt 2012 for the first time and honestly, kinda disappointed. There was also a lot of things that pissed me off. One thing I don't see talked about though is just Mikey's portrayal off ADHD and just how problematic it is.

In his original bio he is confirmed to have ADD which just makes the treatment of him in the show, the way he is written, and the infantilization of him.

Everyone just gets so annoyed and aggressive over his ADHD traits and he is treated like an idiot by the writers and characters. It's one thing to be coded but the fact it's canon just bugs me so much as someone with ADHD. I'm glad at least Rise has good canonical ADHD rep in its version of Mikey.

Understandable! 

portraying neurodivergent characters is perhaps one of the trickiest things simply because you don’t want to water down or brush off any struggles they might face, but you also don’t want to demonize or romanticize the trait. it’s especially tricky if you don’t have first- or secondhand experience with it, if you don’t do the research, or if you view neurodivergence as a character flaw rather than a trait. 

in universe, Mikey is usually brushed off at best or outright hit in the worst of circumstances. it’s... really sad. given that there’s no real closure for him where he gets diagnosed, or even his family realizing “there’s something very different about you, but that’s not a bad thing.” the kid’s 15-16 and doesn’t know why he thinks so differently from everyone else around him! the least his family could do would be to try to be open minded and understanding about it. 

on the other hand, i don’t think the writers were taking it seriously or had any sort of plan to do anything with it. it feels sort of like an afterthought. “haha what if Mikey had ADHD, wouldn’t that make him so much weirder?” which... feels insensitive and insulting. like, at the very least, do some research rather than taking the stereotype as the final result, give Mikey some ways to grow and learn to cope in healthy ways. geez. IT’S NOT EVEN THAT HARD?*

most versions of Mikey, the fandom has headcanoned that he has ADHD. i haven’t heard anything about it being canon in Rise, but i can definitely see it! and i’m so so glad he doesn’t get pulverized for simply saying something silly. just cuz he thinks differently from others doesn’t mean he’s stupid! he’s got a big heart and can be a bit naive, but those aren’t flaws unless taken to the extreme.