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I accidentally paused on this and I just-

#autistic spencer reid

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#autistic spencer reid #autistic Aaron Hotchner #autistic Hotch

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Autistic Spencer Reid

Happy Autism Acceptance Month, everyone! By request, my wonderful friends and I have taken on the daunting task of documenting the reasons why Spencer Reid is considered Autistic. Big thank you to you @spencer-reids-adventures and @foxy-eva specifically for their help. We hope everyone enjoys! This is not an exhaustive list.

Stimming/Self-Stimulatory behavior, including rocking/spinning in his chair, twiddling with his fingers, gripping sheets, bouncing his legs, biting his lip/tongue, rubbing his eyes, spinning pens, pacing (e.g., S6E12 "Corazon")

Averse to touch, dislikes hugs (S7E13 "Snake Eyes" & S11E11 "Entropy")

Explains multiple attempts at masking, including "being more conversational," (S2E19 "Ashes and Dust"), scripting conversation (S15E4 "Saturdays"), saying what people want to hear (S6E20 "Hanley Waters")

Verbosity - Difficulty recognizing when he's talking too much/speaking at inappropriate times (e.g., S1E16 "The Tribe" & S10E16 "Lockdown")

Began studying behavioral science to understand behavior that made him frustrated/confused (S11E22 "The Storm")

Averse to hosting/hanging out in his space; didn't invite his friends to his apartment for over 15 years (S15E9 "Face Off")

The only team member capable of proficient communication with other Autistic people (S6E16 "Coda" & S11E22 "The Storm")

He is referred to as Autistic by multiple characters, including a literal profiler, and does not deny or question it (S1E5 "Broken Mirror" & S8E3 "Through the Looking Glass")

Lack of social awareness, such as focusing on a convention while at a workplace shooter crime scene (S7E3 "Dorado Falls")

Various special interests, like Doctor Who (S6E16 "Coda" & S7E23 "Hit")

Literal thinking, such as focusing on scientific accuracy of a star-based fable (S5E13 "Risky Business")

Difficulty recognizing common phrases, such as the "sitting in a tree" song (S3E14 "Damaged") or jokes (S7E9 "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy" & S1E8 "Natural Born Killer")

Makes inappropriate references, such as to Derek's playboy behavior (S1E18 "Somebody's Watching") and Rossi's age (S7E13 "Snake Eyes")

Coordination/Spatial deficits (S1E17 "A Real Rain" & S8E6 "The Apprenticeship")

Hyperfocuses on a task to the point he doesn't notice his surroundings (S5E20 "A Thousand Words")

Unusual/hyper-specific pedantic language (S3E6 "Remembrance of Things Past")

Resistance to change, manifested as a luddite dislike of technology (S6E7 "Middle Man" & S8E4 "God Complex") and struggling with Gideon's death (S10E14 "Hero Worship")

He receives (apparent disability) accommodations to be in the field (S6E10 "What Happens At Home...")

Introverted, difficulty sharing emotions, even with his closest friends (S10E13 "Nelson's Sparrow")

Heavily bullied as a child (S3E16 "Elephant's Memory")

Difficulty making friends (S2E1 "The Fisher King Part 2")

Trouble with eye contact, which persists throughout the series

His mother is schizophrenic, which has a strong genetic link to Autism

Dislikes small talk (S8E3 “Through the Looking Glass”)

Enjoys memorizing lists (S7E11, “True Genius”)

Savant skills - eidetic memory and hyperlexia

Matthew Gray Gubler has also explained that, regardless of the canonical confirmation, he views and portrayed Spencer Reid as Autistic. Specifically, he stated:

"He's an eccentric genius, with hints of schizophrenia and minor autism, Asperger's syndrome. Reid is 24, 25 years old with three Ph.D.'s and one can't usually achieve that without some form of autism." (Note: Asperger's is an outdated term with Nazi origins, which is now referred to as a part of "Autism Spectrum Disorder" by most countries)

DISCLAIMER: I am Autistic, as diagnosed when I was a toddler. These thoughts are my own and shared for fun. If you disagree, please make your own post about it rather than posting them here. This was a labor of love for fans like me and those who love Autistic people and the characters like us. Thank you for respecting and understanding my boundaries!

Looking for more to read? Check out my Autistic headcanon posts for Penelope and Hotch!

Thank you everyone! 🌈♾️❤️

#autistic spencer reid

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I think the most autistic thing Dr. Reid has ever done was when he was able to talk for 15 minutes straight about almost complete bullshit and make it entirely believable when he had to save him and Hotch from getting murdered in the jail unattended. the ability to know that much and to talk that convincingly without interruption is some of the best autistic representation out there I swear

#autistic spencer reid

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Funny Thing Fate (S.R.)

Summary: Autistic!Reader is tipsy and lost in D.C. when she spots a man she thinks might be able to help. Request: reid and a reader who is a clingy drunk? Some overprotective, concerned, fluffy, sober spence getting her through the night. Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader Category: Fluff! Content Warning: Alcohol, crying, being/feeling “left behind,” piggy back ride (implied weight of Reader) Word Count: 6.8k

MASTERLIST

I used to believe in fate. Granted, it was never really the kind of fate I saw depicted in romance movies or the works of Sylvia Plath. I believed in fate because we existed. Human beings, standing on a rock hurtling through space with a consciousness and the ability to comprehend the astounding circumstances that led to our existence. Knowing all of that, it would be hard not to fall a little in love with the idea that everything happens for a reason. That each terrible thing, each second of suffering, is meant to bring us an equally incomprehensible joy.

But despite being happy with my life generally, I didn’t really believe in fate anymore. The idea made more sense when viewed as a coping mechanism for a cruel world; a way to survive devastating pain. It had become hard for me to believe that turning left instead of right was a predetermined decision that would change my life forever. At least, beyond the fact I would have slightly different memories of that night.

Most days, the walk home was just that: A walk home. Nothing particularly strange or memorable happened beyond the ordinary. It wasn’t a bad thing —   ordinary things could be beautiful, too. I was just starting to enjoy them again, actually. And as lovely as that was to start seeing beauty in the world again, it didn’t change my new perspective.

Fate was just a tool to get by. So as I stood at a crossroads that night, trying to decide if I should just walk the normal path home, or take the longer route despite the late hour and weary eyes, I chose the former. It wasn’t fate, I told myself. It was just the logical decision.

It wasn’t fate. I didn’t believe in fate.

Keep reading

#autistic spencer reid

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#autistic spencer reid

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Hi, I love TB & TB. I’m currently reading it in my kindle and I reached the part where Bunny receives oral from Spencer. I was just wondering if you imagined Bunny to be completely hairless or natural? (I’m not a minor dw) And I know this question is intimate so please just ignore it if it makes you uncomfortable. I’m just having a hard time trying to picture things and I wonder if Spencer likes a natural woman.

No worries—Bunny is like whatever you are like! A grown ass adult man shouldn’t care either way. If he does, he’s boring and has bad taste.

I hope you continue to enjoy the work! 🤗

I’ve been hoping to finish TB&TB up soon. I even wrote a few sentences the other day. Right now, multiple specialist appointments + work + physical therapy is kicking my ass. Miss you all and I can’t wait for CME S2!

#imagining after dark #imaginingafterdark #answer #answered

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wait i simply would like to know your thoughts on what makes hotch autistic 🤲🧎‍♀️

Hey friend! I'm sure I'll find more examples on my rewatch, but I'll share a few that immediately come to mind.

Disclaimer: I am autistic and this headcanon is just for fun. If you disagree, that is totally fine. Many traits of autism can overlap with childhood trauma (among many other things), so that's another totally reasonable explanation for this character!

Reasons I think Aaron Hotchner is Autistic:

Intense, prolonged eye contact, rarely blinks (S5E2, "Haunted")

Collects coins and is "a bit of a nerd" (S1E3, "Won't Get Fooled Again")

Awkward, inability to socialize (literally joined a play to get a girl's attention)

Difficulty breaking routine, hyperfixates on tasks, even when he has important events for his family

Blunted affect - speaks in a monotone, has a flat expression, rarely smiles (S2E6, "The Boogeyman")

Limited responses to conversation, quiet and introverted (despite being lonely and clearly craving social contact, only appears to be friends with people he works with)

Rigidly follows rules, wears the same outfit, obsessed with a traditional depiction of authority (became a lawyer, only wears formal outfits, drawn to coaching/leader positions)

Blunt and forthright, even when others would consider it inappropriate, and even when it does not advance the case (S6E7, "Middle Man")

Poor interoception (sensing internal state) as displayed by his difficulty recognizing when he is in pain (S9E5, "Route 66")

Difficulty training others to emotionally handle the job (S2E15, "Revelations")

Close personal relationship with Gideon and Spencer, who I also headcanon as Autistic

Regularly asks everyone if they are alright, possibly due to difficulty recognizing when someone needs comfort versus when they'd like to be left alone

That's all for now, folks! Let me know if you have any other ideas!

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Different Dialects (S.R.)

Summary: Autistic!Reader. Spencer is trying to tell Reader he likes her, but it feels like they speak entirely different languages. Request: A really fluffy one shot where Spencer keeps trying to confess his feelings to the reader but it just keeps going wrong like he gets interrupted or she doesn’t understand or something? A/N: This fic was very self-indulgent for me and is very near and dear to my heart 💕 Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader Category: Fluff! Content Warning: None 🥰 Word Count: 7.2k

MASTERLIST

The first time (y/n) told me she felt like a color, she told me she felt yellow.

There was no need for explanation— it made perfect sense to me. She looked like sunshine and smelled like peaches and fresh laundry. Her laughter sounded like wind chimes and strings and her voice moved like honey; slow and sweet and sticking with me. I wondered what that would mean if I kissed her. Would my lips cling to hers, holding us together for a few moments longer?

I tried not to lose myself in fantasies that would never come true and decided, instead, to enjoy the way the world looked and sounded when (y/n) was happy.

Keep reading

#autistic spencer reid #autistic!reader

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A little less than a month remains! I’ve got some more prompts in case you weren’t inspired before:

Child calls Stepparent “Mom/Dad” for the first time

Character is babysitting and someone mistakes them as the parent

The kids Parent Trap™ their parents

Character reveals their fear about being a bad parent

Labor happens at a very inopportune time

Parent, unbeknownst to Child, is having a very hard time when Child shares how much they love them

Character plays hooky with Child

I hope this inspires any holdouts! Happy writing, everyone! 🚼

🎀 CM KidFic Challenge 🧸

Hey everyone, I’m back with another monthly challenge! For the months of March AND April, I am formally challenging any willing writer to take a stab at writing fanfiction including children, babies, or pregnancy (biological, adoptive, animal, etc.) using their choice of Criminal Minds characters! Reader, Original Character, Character/Character ships, Gen/Platonic fics are allowed! Please check out the Rules below the Keep Reading.

(**This is NOT a request list for me—this is a prompt list of other writers! Feel free to request from someone else, and be sure to let them know about the challenge!)

Prompts

Child says their first word(s)

Child becomes an older sibling

Character stands up for their child

The couple enjoys trying for a baby

Characters are fantastic platonic co-parents

Child is starting to act a lot like their parent(s)

The couple announces their pregnancy to everyone

The couple fosters a teenager preparing for college

The couple takes their child to college/their own place

The couple thinks they’re having twins… but it’s triplets

Character runs into their ex who has a child that looks just like them

The couple realizes how different things are the second, third, etc. time

Character needs reassurance about the fact they don’t enjoy being pregnant

Character finds that being around Child helps them heal their own inner child

The couple babysits together, which leads to a conversation about their future

Character struggles with the fact that their teenage kid has their first partner

Character is very attentive to their pregnant partner... almost irritatingly so

Character witnesses a quiet moment with their partner and their baby during a night feeding

Character, chronically single, asks their best friend if they’d be open to having a child with them

Child realizes that not every kid has two moms/two dads and they have a lot of questions about it

The couple takes Child to daycare for the first time but they can’t make themselves leave the parking lot

Child is having a hard time at school, so Character picks them up from school for a day of quality time together

Pregnancy cravings lead to a very dramatic late-night grocery store trip that makes Character fall more in love

Anything else you can imagine!

Childfree/Pregnancy-Free prompts below + Create your own!

Childfree/Pregnancy-Free Prompts

Character is the fun uncle/aunt

The couple adopts a pet together

Character gets to meet their partner’s (judgmental) pet

Character reveals that they don't want to have children and their partner's reaction surprises them

A child the BAU saved comes back years later to thank them and show what they’ve done with their life

The couple decides to give up on becoming parents and they learn how to have a fulfilled life without a child

Rules

The fic can be a Reader insert, an Original Character, a character/character ship, a platonic ship, or a Gen fic. It can feature any Criminal Minds character. AUs and crossovers are more than welcome.

Tag me in the fic, or send the link to me in a Direct Message. It can be already written, or you can write it for the challenge - I’m collecting both! You can also tag it “#mentioningmargins” which is a tag I track.

The fic can be any genre, but ONLY send me smut if your bio states you are 18+. I DO NOT WANT smut written by minors. Ever. At all. I will check.Platonic ships and pure, fluffy fics are 100% allowed.

Please include Content Warnings and a one-sentence Summary of the fic in your post.

Have fun!

The Masterlist of fics will be posted around May 1. If you finish after that, no problem - just send me the fic once you’re done and I’ll add it after-the-fact!

Feel free to message me if you want help developing a plot, have any questions, or just want to gush about your fic. I’m happy to help, and I’m happy you’re here ❤️

Happy Writing!

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SPENCER REID IN 11.22 “THE STORM”

for context, the person spencer is talking to is autistic. this—in addition to all of the other for lack of a better word “evidence”—is reid confirming in canon that he’s autistic.

#autistic spencer reid

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somethings never change.

#autistic spencer reid

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Piece of Paper (S.R.)

Summary: Spencer and Reader discuss Autism evaluations.

Request: reader tells spencer "i think im autistic" and he’s like "wait you've never been evaluated/diagnosed??" and he helps her advocate for an evaluation or some other kind of support? A/N: I’m sorry if this isn’t exactly what you wanted, Anon, but this is the experience I would like to share as a person who was diagnosed as a toddler 🫶 Couple: Spencer Reid/GN!Reader Category: Comfort/Fluff Content Warning: Autism assessment/Anti-Autistic mentions, implied abuse/gaslighting, minor self-hatred, internalized ableism Word Count: 1k

MASTERLIST

The bullpen was as quiet as it ever was. The bustling crowds had passed through and returned to the comfort of their home. All that remained were those with deadlines, no date life, or neurodivergent tendencies.

You peeked across the desk to notice how Spencer’s hyper-focus had finally faded, leaving him now spinning in his chair while he stared at the ceiling.

“Hey, Spencer?” you called, “Can I ask you a kind of personal question?”

His chair came to a halt.

“Sure, but I’m not sure if I’ll have a satisfying answer,” he chuckled.

You floundered for a moment, struggling to come up with an appropriate way to ask your question. Yet, when you did finally speak, you were anything but eloquent.

“What was it like when you were diagnosed with Autism?”

“Oh!” he said excitedly, “I’ve actually never been assessed.”

Immediately, your face began to burn, and your stomach churned with the realization you’d just made a number of possibly rude assumptions.

“Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry—“

“I’m not offended,” he reassured you with a smile, “I agree with your assessment.”

You smiled at the wordplay, but the intensity of his gaze drove your eyes back to the mess of paperwork on your desk.

“Can I ask why?” you asked.

Spencer didn’t seem to mind at all that you stared at the desk instead of him. He offered his explanation with his normal enthusiasm.

“My mom wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of psychiatrists.”

Understandable. Neither were you.

“Plus,” he trailed off. You turned to find him staring at the ceiling again. He rocked the chair back and forth as he said somewhat solemnly, “the world isn’t particularly fond of Autistic people.”

The words felt like a blow to your chest. Like your heart had turned to stone or something unbearably cold.

“Ah,” you sigh. You brought a hand to your face to try to hide the disappointment.

Spencer, still looking above you both, didn’t even notice the shift in tone.

“Why do you ask?”

“Nothing,” you replied, “It’s nothing, it’s stupid.”

Even he couldn’t miss the sadness in your voice, though. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, you heard the realization hit him with a gasp.

“Were you planning on scheduling an assessment?”

“I was considering it, but… I don’t know if I should.”

There were a lot of reasons why that was the case — self doubt, fear of the unknown, chronic gaslighting — but you didn’t want to go into all of that. Instead, you chose to sympathize with the plight he’d already shared with you.

“Because you’re right, other people are… not very receptive to the diagnosis.”

Some more than the rest.

Spencer paused for a second, even though you knew he wanted to say something. For a moment, he wrestled with the right words and the right tone to prevent his anger from projecting onto the wrong person.

“Would you be doing it for them?” he asked, “The other people?”

It seemed like a silly question… one you’d never really stopped to ask yourself.

“What do you mean?”

That time, when Spencer started speaking, you couldn’t find it in you to stop him. You stayed silent because you knew he was offering you his unfiltered thoughts on something personal to him. 

“I mean… why do you want someone else to tell you? I don’t want to talk you out of something that would bring you peace of mind, but I would encourage you to ask yourself if that’s really the reason you’re doing it, because that piece of paper can make a lot of things much harder for you. Immigration, medical decision making, adoption, child rearing, hell, even your job… that target on your back will impact aspects of your life that you’ve probably never even considered it would.”

You sat there, soaking in the hopelessness of the moment. You begged your heart to slow down, but it continued racing along with your thoughts.

Ultimately, there was nothing left to be said but, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Did I upset you?”

There was a subtle regret in his voice, but you knew it had needed to be said. That bluntness, that unfiltered honesty had been exactly why you’d asked him.

So, you managed a smile as you thanked him the best way you knew how; by telling him the truth. 

“No, I appreciate your honesty.”

He responded with his own.

“Okay. I’m still sorry, though.”

“Thanks,” you said, although you’d meant ‘Me too.’ 

Spencer didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and scrambled to find a blank sheet among his notebooks. At first, you thought nothing of it. But once you heard him scribble something onto a piece of paper that was immediately ripped from its place, you turned to him.

His eyes remained fixed on the note he’d just written while he spoke.

“At the end of the day, no matter how badly we want to believe things will change… the people who don’t believe you now… they won’t believe a piece of paper, either,” he said.

Then, standing from his chair, Spencer closed the space between you, note in hand. He clutched it tightly between his fingers that were held against his chest.

“But if it helps, I believe you.”

Tears sprung from your eyes so quickly that you weren’t sure what to do with them. You decided to let them sit there, to soak in the saltwater reminder that you were not nearly as inhuman as the others made you seem. And when Spencer held out his hand to offer you the lifeline on lined paper, you took it.

He smiled.

“A doctor’s note, in case you ever need it.”

Spencer returned to his desk without another word. You set the piece of paper down and decided that, when you were ready, you would see what he’d had to say.

Then, when you were ready, you would find the handwritten message: 

“You are the only expert of your life. You already know the answer.”

(Tell me what you thought about this piece here!)

Please also consider reblogging and/or commenting on fics you enjoy to help keep the fandom alive!

Looking for more fics with an Autistic!Reader? Check out my Rec List here!

P.S. Did you know Tumblr might be hiding some of my posts from you? Learn how to change this setting here so you can enjoy my more scandalous works (if you want), including my most recent one, which can be found here.

#autistic spencer reid #autistic!reader

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spencer and penelope autism club <3

#autistic spencer reid

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S05E14

#autistic spencer reid

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S.R./Autistic!Reader Fic Rec List

Hey friends! I've wanted to make a collection of headcanons and fics involving an Autistic Reader for future reference. Everything is Spencer Reid unless marked otherwise.

If you write/already have a fic involving an Autistic!Reader, please let me know and I’ll add it here!

Fem!Reader

Different Dialects by me: Spencer is trying to tell Reader he likes her, but it feels like they speak entirely different languages.

Funny Thing Fate by me: Reader is tipsy and lost in D.C. when she spots a man she thinks might be able to help.

Porcelain by me: Reader has a meltdown in the cafe. Luckily, there is a Dr. Reid nearby.

Baggage Claim by me: Reader has a hard time at the airport. Spencer notices.

Piece of Paper by me: Spencer and Reader discuss Autism evaluations.

Wife by @specialagentlokitty : Spencer’s wife comes to visit him at work.

He Knows by @specialagentlokitty : Reader has a bad day at work and Spencer tries to help.

Meltdown by @prodigyspencer: Reader has a meltdown out eating with the team.

Look at Me by @yurimura: Reader works at the BAU and has a hard time making eye contact with people. A certain Dr. Spencer Reid picks up on it.

Their Resident Genius by @assassinmidnight: The BAU is called in by Scotland Yard to help with a case, Spencer becomes intrigued when he hears that they have their own resident genius.

Daughter Headcanon by @letarasstuff: If Spencer's daughter was Autistic.

Daydreams Turn to Reality by @spencerreidscoffeecup: [NSFW] Reader has a meltdown at the office.. Thankfully, her teammate Dr. Spencer Reid was nearby to help.

The Absence of Rain by @inactive-luv: Reader meets a stranger in the rain.

Surrounded by @c-m-stuff : Reader is overwhelmed by the press, and begins to panic.

Virginity by @beautifulbrainrot :[NSFW] Spencer and Reader experience something new together.

More under the cut!

GN!Reader

The Living Weighted Blanket by @venusianelf: Reader had a crush on Spencer for the longest time but have managed to keep it fairly hidden... then they had to share a room.

Male!Reader

Lovers Do by @undeadspeeds: Reader loses his noise cancelling earmuffs and gets ready to have a very messy flight. Spencer cares more than he knows.

Understanding by @x-reader-theater : Reader is nonverbal and gets frustrated trying to communicate with Morgan. Luckily, Spencer’s there to help.

Stars by @reidmycriminalmind: Reader and Spencer stargaze.

Other Characters

The Tea Effect by @underworld-of-imagines: (Hotch, Fem) Reader expresses her love for green tea, and Hotch realizes his feelings for her.

Comfort Kittens by @reidgraygubler : (Wes, GN) Reader goes to visit Wes at the clinic and gets overwhelmed.

Potato Chips and Cupcakes by @reidgraygubler : (Chip, GN) Reader is oblivious to Chip’s flirtations, until he asks them out.

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I'm back! I've recently become obsessed with Criminal Minds and since Autistic Spencer Reid is a popular headcannon (who am I kidding, it's canon no matter if it's said on the show or not) I thought I'd do a little fanart since I know he's a comfort character for a lot of people — including me. I tried to put as many of the right colors used by the autistic community as possible. Hope you like it. 💜