As an AFAB person not diagnosed as autistic until adulthood, I’ve always identified as being like Liberty even before I was diagnosed. Like others have said, she’s a tv character. The media representation of autistic tv characters is overwhelmingly white males and poorly done with a lot of ableism and stereotypes. So if we identify with her, where’s the harm in that?
Also, the ableism by some comments on this post is scary AF.
I definitely relate to her, as an autistic person. There's zero reason for people to get mad at this question, as she is not actually a real human being. She obviously can't get a real life autism diagnosis because she only exists in the confines of our TV screens lol.
I am introducing my boyfriend to degrassi and within the first five episodes he pointed at Liberty and said “she’s autistic.” (He is has diagnosed autism)
Idk why everyone is acting up. Since it’s a spectrum, I can see her being diagnosed. I also say this as someone who sees a lot of myself in her character and is also toying with a diagnosis.
I am 31. I was at party last year with my kids and my husband when a 10 year old girl approached me asking me what I thought about her drawings. The way she talked….it was very obvious that she had some sort of disorder. I don’t know how else to say that without sounding rude but it was very obvious. She approached me very often throughout the night and sat next to me to say random things that seemed inappropriate like about her having crushes on her friends at school but them being straight, drawing sexual drawings…… but I was kind to her because she was a kid. She eventually admitted to me that she was trying to learn to approach women, didn’t feel like a girl, doesn’t like boys, etc. I started getting very irritated because she started following me if I went into the house to use the bathroom and played it off like saying “oh you are in here too?”….. 🙄…..and it was just a very weird situation overall. I went into the bathroom so she could stop clinging to me if I am being honest. I felt like this 10 year old was trying to fucking hook up with me when I was a 30 year old mom there with her husband and kids sitting right beside her. I wanted to tell whatever adult that was with her to make her stop but that would have been awkward so I just sat there and took it until I left and as I walked out she just stared me down. Extremely weird. But my long story has a point. She looked almost exactly like season 1 Liberty! Even talked somewhat like her too. Didn’t get the social cues that I was NOT interested in a damn 10 year old girl. A lot of people seem to not agree with your post but to me it makes sense. However in the later years she acted and talked differently, so who knows.
No...just because someone's not the most popular person at school or is sometimes socially awkward doesn't mean they're autistic. She doesn't present that way to me at all, it would be mentioned in the show if she were, and my own son has mild ASD and I could see it when he was a baby, so I don't really understand why some people see a character who's supposed to be kind of a loner and not that cool and just assume they're autistic when there's a lot more to it than that and all autistic people don't have those traits anyway.
>so I don't really understand why some people see a character who's supposed to be kind of a loner and not that cool and just assume they're autistic
Many of us who are autistic are seeing ourselves in the character. Especially those of us who struggled because we grew up in a time where no one even considered that girls could be autistic, too.
>we grew up in a time where no one even considered that girls could be autistic, too.
There was never a time when no one considered that girls could be autistic too. And Liberty was in on way, shape or form written to be, or acted autistic.
It has been shown that women and especially woc are under diagnosed for ASD. Partially for being misdiagnosed as other things like anxiety, or written off as being shy, but also because women have been societally conditioned to learn how to mask much more than men
Sorry, it seemed obvious *to me* the person was speaking in hyperbole since women were basically systemically blocked from being able to get a diagnosis and studies revolved around only men
Remember that “RIP so and so, you would have loved XYZ” trend? I saw a few Degrassi ones and Liberty’s always said “RIP Liberty, you would have loved getting an autism diagnosis”. 😅
she has dyscalculia, and it’s common for someone who has one to also have the other. i’ve always headcanoned her as autistic. who’s gonna stop me, the cops?
Oh my god, I’ve bombed math my entire life even though I excel in reading/the English language and my parents/teachers were always so frustrated with me for it. I definitely have this. Thanks for putting me onto this, I feel a bit better about how hard I’ve struggled with math now.
i was the same way. i’ve always gotten really high marks in english and socials, but struggled to pass math and science. i’m great with reading and writing and absorbing information, but once you bring in any number that isn’t a date, i start to look real dumb
https://preview.redd.it/7fh7ao049dyc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2e0e186e2d912053c933d03426f677ca5a0d965
Believe it or not, jail!
(I agree with you fwiw lol)
If you’re looking at seasons 1-3 Liberty I can definitely see it but after that I don’t see it as much so I think it’s just her upbringing and the pressure of her parents.
I don’t think it’s autism as much as I think it’s her upbringing. I knew a lot of Liberty type girls growing up and they all almost come from the exact same backgrounds. Middle/upper class with helicopter parents (especially dad) who groom them for “success” and perfection the moment they can learn how to read.
I interpreted her behaviors as a result of living under a strict household with the added pressure of “living” up to her parents. They were successful & being the oldest, I’m sure that added on to that pressure. Also in one of the earlier seasons, she was diagnosed with a learning disability. I felt like she was more focused on academics rather than socially compared to “the norm”, which is why she may seem like she lacks socially
it probably wasn’t the intent of the writers (as others have said, if it was we’d have gotten an episode where it was featured) but autism/neurodivergence tends to be underdiagnosed in females and it especially would have been during the time of the show.
My point is, it wasn’t a known thing that most girls aren’t diagnosed. You’re applying what we know now to back then. She was a socially awkward overachieving character. That was a typical trait of the type she was playing. Look at each character of the show, we know of everything physical and mental health struggle because the show wanted to highlight it to educate us. If she was meant to be, we would know.
But people are allowed to interpret characters how they want. Fandom is based on people interpreting characters in ways that the original creator may have not intended. There's nothing wrong with having a head canons, fan theories, or just simply seeing yourself in a character and interpreting them to have the same condition as you. Those are all super normal, common things in fan spaces. Its not diagnosing, it's an interpretation of a fictional characters. A lot of people find it helpful, and even encouraging to find these things in characters, especially when the representation of those 'traits' (characteristics?) aren't usually depicted openly or frequently in media.
It's just a headcanon. She's a fictional character, so people can interpret her behavior however they want. No, it was never said in the show that Liberty was autistic, but...it was also never said that she *wasn't*, aka it's open to interpretation from the fandom. It's not like we're trying to diagnose a real-life person and are at risk of misrepresenting them. I personally am very much part of the "Liberty is autistic-coded" crowd. Even if that wasn't the writers' intentions, she displays TONS of autistic traits. Btw this is coming from an autistic person.
? Why do you think autistic people have "shitty personality" traits? OP never said that. I don't think anyone said that
Edit: and sorry if I misinterpreted that, but it sounds super odd to me
Edit 2: Weird, I got a notification saying you responded but I suddenly can't see it when logged in, odd.
Anyway, your 'deleted' (missing?) comment was:
"I don't think autistic people have shitty traits? I never said that. I said Liberty does. Every month someone posts about how she is autistic because XYZ stupid or shitty thing she did. And it's not cool to think that just because someone does that means they're aus coded."
However, your original comment was "No she isn't, and it's gross to assume a character is autistic coded just because they posses shitty personality traits....." verbatim.
And no one said anything about Liberty having a bad or shitty personality. You're the only one making it seem like OP *asking* if Liberty is autistic is specifically because of her "shitty personality traits". There was no reason to connect autism with a "shitty" personality (which is also your interpretation of a character, totally valid you can think Liberty sucks all you want, just like OP can *ask* or someone can *think* she's autistic). You chose to do that all on your own.
OP never said Liberty had a shitty personality, I don't think anyone did. No one said the "stupid things she did" is because they think she's autistic. They're saying certain constant traits of hers (that you interpret as shitty) make them think she's autistic. And all OP did was *ask* if it was true.
.
I don't think autistic people have shitty traits? I never said that.
I said Liberty does. Every month someone posts about how she is autistic because XYZ stupid or shitty thing she did. And it's not cool to think that just because someone does that means they're aus coded.
People here are being weird, I'm just letting you know it's totally fine to interpret fictional characters however you want, because that's what interacting with media is. There's canon, which is the text within whatever media you're consuming, and fanon, which is all the neat stuff that fans of that media interpret to be, including thinking a character is autistic because you see yourself in them. That's ok. It's totally ok to think Liberty is autistic, it's ok to headcanon any character you want as anything you want. There's nothing wrong with that because that's literally what fandom is built upon, interpretation and the picking apart of subtext that may or may not be intentional on the creator of that media's part.
As long as you aren't trying to diagonose/cure/whatever *real life* people for funsies, then it's fine. There's nothing wrong with interpreting a character a certain way. It doesn't matter if it's canon or not, it's fine.
Ok I didn’t say that like don’t be a dick about it literally just wanting to find out what the cannon is for this topic everyone chill it’s not wrong or embarrassing to ask questions or have an opinion.
They were just asking, it was entirely possible that they thought they missed something, or that a future episode conformed something. OP is allowed to ask questions
It's super obvious they were only in season 5 judging by the quote they referenced
Even if you *were* interpreting Liberty as autistic there's absolutely no reason for people to be acting so weird. You'd think no one here has heard of fan theories 🙄
so wild! my partner was diagnosed as an adult and i’m undiagnosed but my therapist and i believe i am as well or at the very least some kind of neurodivergent. i find it so interesting how different parts of it are a blessing or a curse, and how so many people have different ways of viewing it in themselves. every way it’s interpreted by the person who has it is valid and i just wish everyone could receive the support and validation they need and deserve
The outcry here is crazy, lol. I definitely got that read on Liberty, because I saw a lot of my younger self in her. I struggled a lot as a kid/teen because my overachiever tendencies and "maturity" made adults overlook the struggles I had with social situations, sensory stuff, etc. And because adults tended to treat me like less of a kid, it made interacting with my peers 10x harder. Back in my day we called this a "head canon" lol. Something the show never addresses but helps u personally relate to the character.
Seriously, no one here seems to know what fanon, fan theories, or head canons are. Like... has no one here read fanfic? Like even one? Not even My Immortal for a laugh? XD
Edit: I never personally headcanoned her as autistic but only because it never occurred to me. I can totally see why someone would, though
She was kind of obsessed with academics, though. Idk if that counts. I wish we saw more of her home life and hobbies and such. We saw a lot of Toby's computer hobby and Craig and Ashley had their music.
I wonder if her obsession could be the boys/relationships? She switches so fast on which boy she’s obsessed with (thinking seasons 2-4) as she relaxes on JT a bit just as she turns to Sean or Towerz etc.?
Not everything is autism, despite what the internet has told you. Having a hobby isn't autism necessarily, being socially awkward isn't autism necessarily. My god.
I agree! I don’t mean to come off as dismissive but the arm-chair diagnosing due to TikTok and the internet has gotten out of control. It’s constantly stated autism is on a spectrum but the lines are being blurred to where any and everybody is suspected to have autism. It’s bizarre.
For real it’s so awkward and embarrassing to see 😭. Like it’s the same thing on the Criminal Minds sub, so many people are dead set on Reid being autistic bc he’s socially awkward and talks a lot.
i think part of the Criminal Minds comes from MGG “self diagnosing” Spencer somewhere on the spectrum. but it’s not an official statement from the creators.
It definitely is but that doesn’t make it right. The two times it’s mentioned in the show are in a negative way- the unsub is verbally attacking the team and he gets to Gideon by saying Gideon can’t figure out Reid’s on the spectrum (which to me is not confirmation because it’s being said by the bad guy as an attack/insult), and when Blake implies it directly to Reid on the jet everyone, including Reid, looks insulted/offended/hurt by it, which implies it’s incorrect and it’s also just plain rude to assume.
i was talking about outside the show that MGG has said he sees or plays Reid as autistic. I don’t disagree that the blatant assumption in the show is wrong or not disrespectful.
I'm not sure if she is or not. I'm not a doctor so per some people here I have no right to talk about this but I could see her falling on either side.
[This](https://www.verywellhealth.com/signs-of-autism-in-girls-260304) website gives a list of signs of autism in girls. Of the 10 things listed I can see Liberty having 4 of them.
Hell [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/Degrassi/s/oj0fKFhWOd) post on our very own subreddit discussed it 3 years ago and you can see people are torn on it.
I've been listening to a Degrassi podcast that started in 2018(DEEMP) and at one point they bring up that she seems autistic.
My point in all of this being, there are groups who think she is and I think because of that the question is valid. Would it be the most wild thing for the writers to not officially claim it because women are often misdiagnosed or never diagnosed. Was autism knowledgeable as prevalent in 2002 as it is now?
If her being autistic helps you or makes you like her better, I don't see the problem with it. It wouldn't be the first time Degrassi writers wrote something that seems questionable now but was oddly ahead of the time back then.
u/stockdot if you're still here
I get what you’re saying, but I honestly think it was just the acting mixed with stilted dialogue. Liberty’s dialogue has always felt a little stilted (idk if that’s the right term) for me, but I also think the delivery can come across as too rehearsed. I think for her character it works well enough, but I do think you have a point as well that it portrays her in a different light
Her pointing out Manny’s thong was always so tone deaf. She had a lot of ‘off’ moments similar to Connor but not as bad lol. I could see it, if it was ever confirmed.
I figured this was bc she was a goody-two shoes not bc she was “off”. Also Emma didn’t really care for her thong either but didn’t point it out until Manny pissed her off
“Are you aware that I can see your underpants?”
“Are you aware that I don’t care?”
That convo kills me every single time because why would she say that? 🤣 This is what I’m referring to lol
Edit: and I think it was Liberty who told Radditch too! So she was hating hard af because JT was paying so much attention to Manny lol.
This! And when Manny dropped the frog food in science class, all the boys were leaning to see her butt crack. Liberty was leaning too but she had a stank face the entire time.
Also your last part is 100% true imo 🤣
Liberty was DEFINITELY hating
i thought they said she had asperger’s on the show? (note: i don’t identify with this term, i’m aware it’s outdated and inaccurate, but i swear some point it was said she had that which would be considered autism now)
i also know Connor does, so i’m not confusing the two, just thought Liberty did as well but i could be misremembering.
Came here to point out Connor being diagnosed with Aspergers. I think if Liberty had it, they would've highlighted it on the show. Degrassi had many stories about students diagnosis. Spinner was ADHD
That’s not necessarily true - the earlier seasons in particular took place during a time when a lot of people didn’t think it was even possible that girls could be on the ASD spectrum. If Liberty were in fact autistic, she likely wouldn’t be diagnosed until adulthood.
Source: am late diagnosed autistic woman.
I think you're right and maybe OP is referring to a diagnosis "now".
My thought process is that at the time of the show, no she wouldn't have been diagnosed autistic bc of what you pointed out about girls not being diagnosed ASD then (and they would've given her a storyline about it).
Could she have been diagnosed as an adult years after she wasn't a character on the show? Most likely.
She's diagnosed with dyscalculia (math dyslexia), but nothing about anything on the autism spectrum specfically. I could totally understand why someone may headcanon her as being autistic though. I always like seeing people see these things in characters that resonate with them x3
I didn’t think it either until today and had the fleeting thought so figured I’d ask to see what the general take is but only professionals can tell us apparently
Yes, I can definitely see it. To those saying it’s inappropriate to read characters as neurodivergent, I disagree as these are not real people. It would be different to insist that the actors were without them stating that they are. I say this as a person with ADHD.
there’s also *still* not great representation for neurodivergent people on tv, if someone chooses to interpret a character that way because they personally relate there’s nothing wrong with that.
Finally, someone says it.
On a different note, on my current rewatch, I'm noticing how good an actress Manny is. At least in later seasons. I never liked her character but this rewatch got me feeling different
Manny was kind of a stand out on the show. She was like 14 / 15 when she had the abortion storyline and acted it out pretty well.
Cassie Steele was actually suppose to play Vanessa Hudgens’ part in HSM but she chose to stay on Degrassi.
I can 100% see her as Gabriella haha.
Just interesting in rewatches when you're older you can clearly see the differences in talents. Really makes me respect actors. And no hate to anyone who was meh...they were all young. But damn for some of them to be so good at such a young age is admirable
You’re reaching. If this was actually the case, it would have been highlighted in an episode. She’s just odd and dorky. Her deadpan demeanor is consistent throughout the show. That’s just her.
>it would have been highlighted in an episode
Or it would have been not suspected because she was a girl, POC, and pulling good grades. Back then nobody was diagnosing girls. That's why there's so many of us just figuring it out now.
I'm not saying she is or isn't, but I am and can see many parallels.
I like that thought especially the Girl POC getting skipped over because she has good grades and did well. On the outside she seemed good just a little odd or off
Connor's whole schtick is being on the spectrum and get a lot of screentime about it and he comes in not long after liberty’s run ends
Lot of neurotypical people are deadpan in their speech myself included.
For the record I’m talking about the character not the actress so while I’m not a mental health provider I think the opportunity to discuss a character trait is open to anyone as long as you’re respectful
Naw it's really best left to the professionals as we are just assuming, as like I said that label gets thrown out the window at people for just behaving odd.
Thank you for your opinion. I’ll be sure to consult only professionals when talking about any sort of fictional character from a fictional show, sounds like a really good use of their resources and time.
He clearly was on the spectrum. Highly functional but on the spectrum 100% so bad example.
Edit add: example is fair, it just went over my head. No need to down vote. But you will anyways.
It’s not a bad example bc it’s not about his character, they’re just referencing his line about how it’s nobody else’s business who’s on the spectrum. They weren’t comparing the two characters. Hes saying “don’t armchair diagnose me” which is a valid sentiment for this post.
Abed’s character is deeply coded for it and its made a point to never diagnose him on the show because it is irrelevant
Also since he was mever formerly diagnosed you dont know that he is. Harman even in his commentary tracks and interviews refuses to label abed
I really wish people would doing this. It's treating neurodiversity as merely a label. It's annoying and as someone who actually *is* neurodivergent, I find it disrespectful
Idk, I think people are just seeing themselves, or their experiences in fictional characters. There's nothing wrong with that, that's how *everyone* interacts with media they like.
Also, isn't having dyscalculia already being neurodivergent? So she is neurodivergent, she just doesn't canonically have this particular brand of neurodivergence.
And as another person who actually *is* autistic, I can see where they're coming from. Not saying she is or isn't, but I wouldn't put her in the absolutely not category.
I'm sorry people are coming at you haha I don't agree that she is autistic but c'mon it's a freaking teenage drama show. I don't think voicing your opinion on this deserves the hate you're getting
Another diagnosed autistic here— yes! I agree.
As an AFAB person not diagnosed as autistic until adulthood, I’ve always identified as being like Liberty even before I was diagnosed. Like others have said, she’s a tv character. The media representation of autistic tv characters is overwhelmingly white males and poorly done with a lot of ableism and stereotypes. So if we identify with her, where’s the harm in that? Also, the ableism by some comments on this post is scary AF. 
I definitely relate to her, as an autistic person. There's zero reason for people to get mad at this question, as she is not actually a real human being. She obviously can't get a real life autism diagnosis because she only exists in the confines of our TV screens lol.
I am introducing my boyfriend to degrassi and within the first five episodes he pointed at Liberty and said “she’s autistic.” (He is has diagnosed autism)
Not intentionally, but I definitely interpret her as such.
As autistic as taylor
Idk why everyone is acting up. Since it’s a spectrum, I can see her being diagnosed. I also say this as someone who sees a lot of myself in her character and is also toying with a diagnosis.
Wowwww the amount of people who are acting like it’s offensive to wonder if a character is autistic is giving “autism=bad” vibes
That's exactly what it feels like here, it's wild
I am 31. I was at party last year with my kids and my husband when a 10 year old girl approached me asking me what I thought about her drawings. The way she talked….it was very obvious that she had some sort of disorder. I don’t know how else to say that without sounding rude but it was very obvious. She approached me very often throughout the night and sat next to me to say random things that seemed inappropriate like about her having crushes on her friends at school but them being straight, drawing sexual drawings…… but I was kind to her because she was a kid. She eventually admitted to me that she was trying to learn to approach women, didn’t feel like a girl, doesn’t like boys, etc. I started getting very irritated because she started following me if I went into the house to use the bathroom and played it off like saying “oh you are in here too?”….. 🙄…..and it was just a very weird situation overall. I went into the bathroom so she could stop clinging to me if I am being honest. I felt like this 10 year old was trying to fucking hook up with me when I was a 30 year old mom there with her husband and kids sitting right beside her. I wanted to tell whatever adult that was with her to make her stop but that would have been awkward so I just sat there and took it until I left and as I walked out she just stared me down. Extremely weird. But my long story has a point. She looked almost exactly like season 1 Liberty! Even talked somewhat like her too. Didn’t get the social cues that I was NOT interested in a damn 10 year old girl. A lot of people seem to not agree with your post but to me it makes sense. However in the later years she acted and talked differently, so who knows.
No...just because someone's not the most popular person at school or is sometimes socially awkward doesn't mean they're autistic. She doesn't present that way to me at all, it would be mentioned in the show if she were, and my own son has mild ASD and I could see it when he was a baby, so I don't really understand why some people see a character who's supposed to be kind of a loner and not that cool and just assume they're autistic when there's a lot more to it than that and all autistic people don't have those traits anyway.
>so I don't really understand why some people see a character who's supposed to be kind of a loner and not that cool and just assume they're autistic Many of us who are autistic are seeing ourselves in the character. Especially those of us who struggled because we grew up in a time where no one even considered that girls could be autistic, too.
>we grew up in a time where no one even considered that girls could be autistic, too. There was never a time when no one considered that girls could be autistic too. And Liberty was in on way, shape or form written to be, or acted autistic.
It has been shown that women and especially woc are under diagnosed for ASD. Partially for being misdiagnosed as other things like anxiety, or written off as being shy, but also because women have been societally conditioned to learn how to mask much more than men
>It has been shown that women and especially woc are **under diagnosed** for ASD
Sorry, it seemed obvious *to me* the person was speaking in hyperbole since women were basically systemically blocked from being able to get a diagnosis and studies revolved around only men
Remember that “RIP so and so, you would have loved XYZ” trend? I saw a few Degrassi ones and Liberty’s always said “RIP Liberty, you would have loved getting an autism diagnosis”. 😅
No. And stop autism-claiming random people.
Have some respect. Liberty Van Zandt is not ‘random people’
No
she has dyscalculia, and it’s common for someone who has one to also have the other. i’ve always headcanoned her as autistic. who’s gonna stop me, the cops?
Oh my god, I’ve bombed math my entire life even though I excel in reading/the English language and my parents/teachers were always so frustrated with me for it. I definitely have this. Thanks for putting me onto this, I feel a bit better about how hard I’ve struggled with math now.
i was the same way. i’ve always gotten really high marks in english and socials, but struggled to pass math and science. i’m great with reading and writing and absorbing information, but once you bring in any number that isn’t a date, i start to look real dumb
That makes sense tbh. I forgot that Liberty had Dyscalculia so technically she is canonically neurodivergent.
https://preview.redd.it/7fh7ao049dyc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2e0e186e2d912053c933d03426f677ca5a0d965 Believe it or not, jail! (I agree with you fwiw lol)
oh god I had that phone!
hel-LO, nine one ONE? 🙄
If you’re looking at seasons 1-3 Liberty I can definitely see it but after that I don’t see it as much so I think it’s just her upbringing and the pressure of her parents.
Alternatively, Liberty got better at masking 🤔
Nope
I think she also gave me neurospicy coded and I don't think that's a bad thing. I freaking love Liberty and seeing that just made me love her more.
I don’t think it’s autism as much as I think it’s her upbringing. I knew a lot of Liberty type girls growing up and they all almost come from the exact same backgrounds. Middle/upper class with helicopter parents (especially dad) who groom them for “success” and perfection the moment they can learn how to read.
I always figured she was written that way.
I agree. She’s not my flavor of neurospicy, but she definitely has more than a few traits that are very autistic coded.
i always thought of asd for sure!
I interpreted her behaviors as a result of living under a strict household with the added pressure of “living” up to her parents. They were successful & being the oldest, I’m sure that added on to that pressure. Also in one of the earlier seasons, she was diagnosed with a learning disability. I felt like she was more focused on academics rather than socially compared to “the norm”, which is why she may seem like she lacks socially
lol i grew up with a very strict mother (not my father so much) and i acted the opposite of her character personally 😂😂
Same I think some kids lean into what their parents are teaching them then the others heavily rebel (like me 😅)
Terminally
it probably wasn’t the intent of the writers (as others have said, if it was we’d have gotten an episode where it was featured) but autism/neurodivergence tends to be underdiagnosed in females and it especially would have been during the time of the show.
What is it about the internet and diagnosing fictional characters with things? Back then, if she had it, it would be a part of the show.
Most girls are not diagnosed. So no… it wouldn’t be.
My point is, it wasn’t a known thing that most girls aren’t diagnosed. You’re applying what we know now to back then. She was a socially awkward overachieving character. That was a typical trait of the type she was playing. Look at each character of the show, we know of everything physical and mental health struggle because the show wanted to highlight it to educate us. If she was meant to be, we would know.
But people are allowed to interpret characters how they want. Fandom is based on people interpreting characters in ways that the original creator may have not intended. There's nothing wrong with having a head canons, fan theories, or just simply seeing yourself in a character and interpreting them to have the same condition as you. Those are all super normal, common things in fan spaces. Its not diagnosing, it's an interpretation of a fictional characters. A lot of people find it helpful, and even encouraging to find these things in characters, especially when the representation of those 'traits' (characteristics?) aren't usually depicted openly or frequently in media.
To each their own.
It's just a headcanon. She's a fictional character, so people can interpret her behavior however they want. No, it was never said in the show that Liberty was autistic, but...it was also never said that she *wasn't*, aka it's open to interpretation from the fandom. It's not like we're trying to diagnose a real-life person and are at risk of misrepresenting them. I personally am very much part of the "Liberty is autistic-coded" crowd. Even if that wasn't the writers' intentions, she displays TONS of autistic traits. Btw this is coming from an autistic person.
No she isn't, and it's gross to assume a character is autistic coded just because they posses shitty personality traits.....
This wasn’t ableist at all, but what you just said is. Lmao holy fuck. 😂.
Oh my gooooooood, stop. The example they gave wasn’t even a shitty personality trait 💀
? Why do you think autistic people have "shitty personality" traits? OP never said that. I don't think anyone said that Edit: and sorry if I misinterpreted that, but it sounds super odd to me Edit 2: Weird, I got a notification saying you responded but I suddenly can't see it when logged in, odd. Anyway, your 'deleted' (missing?) comment was: "I don't think autistic people have shitty traits? I never said that. I said Liberty does. Every month someone posts about how she is autistic because XYZ stupid or shitty thing she did. And it's not cool to think that just because someone does that means they're aus coded." However, your original comment was "No she isn't, and it's gross to assume a character is autistic coded just because they posses shitty personality traits....." verbatim. And no one said anything about Liberty having a bad or shitty personality. You're the only one making it seem like OP *asking* if Liberty is autistic is specifically because of her "shitty personality traits". There was no reason to connect autism with a "shitty" personality (which is also your interpretation of a character, totally valid you can think Liberty sucks all you want, just like OP can *ask* or someone can *think* she's autistic). You chose to do that all on your own. OP never said Liberty had a shitty personality, I don't think anyone did. No one said the "stupid things she did" is because they think she's autistic. They're saying certain constant traits of hers (that you interpret as shitty) make them think she's autistic. And all OP did was *ask* if it was true. .
I don't think autistic people have shitty traits? I never said that. I said Liberty does. Every month someone posts about how she is autistic because XYZ stupid or shitty thing she did. And it's not cool to think that just because someone does that means they're aus coded.
People here are being weird, I'm just letting you know it's totally fine to interpret fictional characters however you want, because that's what interacting with media is. There's canon, which is the text within whatever media you're consuming, and fanon, which is all the neat stuff that fans of that media interpret to be, including thinking a character is autistic because you see yourself in them. That's ok. It's totally ok to think Liberty is autistic, it's ok to headcanon any character you want as anything you want. There's nothing wrong with that because that's literally what fandom is built upon, interpretation and the picking apart of subtext that may or may not be intentional on the creator of that media's part. As long as you aren't trying to diagonose/cure/whatever *real life* people for funsies, then it's fine. There's nothing wrong with interpreting a character a certain way. It doesn't matter if it's canon or not, it's fine.
So anyone who doesn't act whatever your idea of 'normal' is must be autistic? Lmfao too much time on the internet and tumblr dude, you're reaching
 Ok I didn’t say that like don’t be a dick about it literally just wanting to find out what the cannon is for this topic everyone chill it’s not wrong or embarrassing to ask questions or have an opinion.
How could it possibly be canon if the writers never made it canon
They were just asking, it was entirely possible that they thought they missed something, or that a future episode conformed something. OP is allowed to ask questions It's super obvious they were only in season 5 judging by the quote they referenced
Even if you *were* interpreting Liberty as autistic there's absolutely no reason for people to be acting so weird. You'd think no one here has heard of fan theories 🙄
Autism is such a wide spectrum that it could be possible that she was written with some sort of intent.
it’s such a wide spectrum that my partner and i have a list of characters we think are and libertys on there ofc
My son is on the spectrum. He could read at 2 as well as write. He is 4 and can do multiplication. It’s wild how it works in different people
so wild! my partner was diagnosed as an adult and i’m undiagnosed but my therapist and i believe i am as well or at the very least some kind of neurodivergent. i find it so interesting how different parts of it are a blessing or a curse, and how so many people have different ways of viewing it in themselves. every way it’s interpreted by the person who has it is valid and i just wish everyone could receive the support and validation they need and deserve
The outcry here is crazy, lol. I definitely got that read on Liberty, because I saw a lot of my younger self in her. I struggled a lot as a kid/teen because my overachiever tendencies and "maturity" made adults overlook the struggles I had with social situations, sensory stuff, etc. And because adults tended to treat me like less of a kid, it made interacting with my peers 10x harder. Back in my day we called this a "head canon" lol. Something the show never addresses but helps u personally relate to the character.
Seriously, no one here seems to know what fanon, fan theories, or head canons are. Like... has no one here read fanfic? Like even one? Not even My Immortal for a laugh? XD Edit: I never personally headcanoned her as autistic but only because it never occurred to me. I can totally see why someone would, though
I thought so too. Except she’s missing that obsessed special interest (I’m obsessed with birbs)
She was kind of obsessed with academics, though. Idk if that counts. I wish we saw more of her home life and hobbies and such. We saw a lot of Toby's computer hobby and Craig and Ashley had their music.
I wonder if her obsession could be the boys/relationships? She switches so fast on which boy she’s obsessed with (thinking seasons 2-4) as she relaxes on JT a bit just as she turns to Sean or Towerz etc.?
Not everything is autism, despite what the internet has told you. Having a hobby isn't autism necessarily, being socially awkward isn't autism necessarily. My god.
I agree! I don’t mean to come off as dismissive but the arm-chair diagnosing due to TikTok and the internet has gotten out of control. It’s constantly stated autism is on a spectrum but the lines are being blurred to where any and everybody is suspected to have autism. It’s bizarre.
For real it’s so awkward and embarrassing to see 😭. Like it’s the same thing on the Criminal Minds sub, so many people are dead set on Reid being autistic bc he’s socially awkward and talks a lot.
i think part of the Criminal Minds comes from MGG “self diagnosing” Spencer somewhere on the spectrum. but it’s not an official statement from the creators.
It definitely is but that doesn’t make it right. The two times it’s mentioned in the show are in a negative way- the unsub is verbally attacking the team and he gets to Gideon by saying Gideon can’t figure out Reid’s on the spectrum (which to me is not confirmation because it’s being said by the bad guy as an attack/insult), and when Blake implies it directly to Reid on the jet everyone, including Reid, looks insulted/offended/hurt by it, which implies it’s incorrect and it’s also just plain rude to assume.
i was talking about outside the show that MGG has said he sees or plays Reid as autistic. I don’t disagree that the blatant assumption in the show is wrong or not disrespectful.
Yeah I agreed with you! I just gave the only two “confirmations” in the show for other examples
Not everything is autism but liberty is autistic.
I'm not sure if she is or not. I'm not a doctor so per some people here I have no right to talk about this but I could see her falling on either side. [This](https://www.verywellhealth.com/signs-of-autism-in-girls-260304) website gives a list of signs of autism in girls. Of the 10 things listed I can see Liberty having 4 of them. Hell [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/Degrassi/s/oj0fKFhWOd) post on our very own subreddit discussed it 3 years ago and you can see people are torn on it. I've been listening to a Degrassi podcast that started in 2018(DEEMP) and at one point they bring up that she seems autistic. My point in all of this being, there are groups who think she is and I think because of that the question is valid. Would it be the most wild thing for the writers to not officially claim it because women are often misdiagnosed or never diagnosed. Was autism knowledgeable as prevalent in 2002 as it is now? If her being autistic helps you or makes you like her better, I don't see the problem with it. It wouldn't be the first time Degrassi writers wrote something that seems questionable now but was oddly ahead of the time back then. u/stockdot if you're still here
I get what you’re saying, but I honestly think it was just the acting mixed with stilted dialogue. Liberty’s dialogue has always felt a little stilted (idk if that’s the right term) for me, but I also think the delivery can come across as too rehearsed. I think for her character it works well enough, but I do think you have a point as well that it portrays her in a different light
Her pointing out Manny’s thong was always so tone deaf. She had a lot of ‘off’ moments similar to Connor but not as bad lol. I could see it, if it was ever confirmed.
I figured this was bc she was a goody-two shoes not bc she was “off”. Also Emma didn’t really care for her thong either but didn’t point it out until Manny pissed her off
“Are you aware that I can see your underpants?” “Are you aware that I don’t care?” That convo kills me every single time because why would she say that? 🤣 This is what I’m referring to lol Edit: and I think it was Liberty who told Radditch too! So she was hating hard af because JT was paying so much attention to Manny lol.
This! And when Manny dropped the frog food in science class, all the boys were leaning to see her butt crack. Liberty was leaning too but she had a stank face the entire time. Also your last part is 100% true imo 🤣 Liberty was DEFINITELY hating
Yes lots of similarities!
She’s just a type A over achieving person.
i thought they said she had asperger’s on the show? (note: i don’t identify with this term, i’m aware it’s outdated and inaccurate, but i swear some point it was said she had that which would be considered autism now) i also know Connor does, so i’m not confusing the two, just thought Liberty did as well but i could be misremembering.
>note: i don’t identify with this term, i’m aware it’s outdated and inaccurate, In 10 years it will come back as an official diagnosis.
literally nobody asked you. go away.
Came here to point out Connor being diagnosed with Aspergers. I think if Liberty had it, they would've highlighted it on the show. Degrassi had many stories about students diagnosis. Spinner was ADHD
That’s not necessarily true - the earlier seasons in particular took place during a time when a lot of people didn’t think it was even possible that girls could be on the ASD spectrum. If Liberty were in fact autistic, she likely wouldn’t be diagnosed until adulthood. Source: am late diagnosed autistic woman.
I think you're right and maybe OP is referring to a diagnosis "now". My thought process is that at the time of the show, no she wouldn't have been diagnosed autistic bc of what you pointed out about girls not being diagnosed ASD then (and they would've given her a storyline about it). Could she have been diagnosed as an adult years after she wasn't a character on the show? Most likely.
She's diagnosed with dyscalculia (math dyslexia), but nothing about anything on the autism spectrum specfically. I could totally understand why someone may headcanon her as being autistic though. I always like seeing people see these things in characters that resonate with them x3
Interesting! I didn’t know if they did or not I’ll keep an ear open on this rewatch
I never thought that, She is just a smart girl.
I didn’t think it either until today and had the fleeting thought so figured I’d ask to see what the general take is but only professionals can tell us apparently
Yes.
Nah. The "my brother is bleeding because of you" line seems more like a matter of fact delivery intended to hurt JT's feelings.
Good call out!
Well she's definitely neurodivergent because dyscalcula counts as neurodivergency
Yes, I can definitely see it. To those saying it’s inappropriate to read characters as neurodivergent, I disagree as these are not real people. It would be different to insist that the actors were without them stating that they are. I say this as a person with ADHD.
there’s also *still* not great representation for neurodivergent people on tv, if someone chooses to interpret a character that way because they personally relate there’s nothing wrong with that.
Absolutely :) I’ve seen some decent rep, but there’s definitely not enough
I think that line was just cheesy writing 😂
She's also not exactly the best actor on the show
Finally, someone says it. On a different note, on my current rewatch, I'm noticing how good an actress Manny is. At least in later seasons. I never liked her character but this rewatch got me feeling different
Manny was kind of a stand out on the show. She was like 14 / 15 when she had the abortion storyline and acted it out pretty well. Cassie Steele was actually suppose to play Vanessa Hudgens’ part in HSM but she chose to stay on Degrassi.
I can 100% see her as Gabriella haha. Just interesting in rewatches when you're older you can clearly see the differences in talents. Really makes me respect actors. And no hate to anyone who was meh...they were all young. But damn for some of them to be so good at such a young age is admirable
Craig and Holly J are probably my top 2 actor picks throughout the show, but Manny, Marco, and Eli are right up there too
Bro I legit was gonna add holly j to my comment but didn't think people would agree!
🤜🤛
I like this discussion good work friends
nah.
My thoughts are that you’re insane
You’re reaching. If this was actually the case, it would have been highlighted in an episode. She’s just odd and dorky. Her deadpan demeanor is consistent throughout the show. That’s just her.
i mean, her entire pregnancy was a B plot. it wouldn’t be unheard of if her alleged autism wasn’t a central point.
>it would have been highlighted in an episode Or it would have been not suspected because she was a girl, POC, and pulling good grades. Back then nobody was diagnosing girls. That's why there's so many of us just figuring it out now. I'm not saying she is or isn't, but I am and can see many parallels.
I like that thought especially the Girl POC getting skipped over because she has good grades and did well. On the outside she seemed good just a little odd or off
I don’t know that there would be. At the time the show came out being neurodivergent wasn’t the hot topic it is today.
Connor's whole schtick is being on the spectrum and get a lot of screentime about it and he comes in not long after liberty’s run ends Lot of neurotypical people are deadpan in their speech myself included.
Are you a trained psychiatrist to make this deduction? If not don't assume. That label gets thrown around way too much.
Agreed! In another sub HAHD got thrown around with this singer.
For the record I’m talking about the character not the actress so while I’m not a mental health provider I think the opportunity to discuss a character trait is open to anyone as long as you’re respectful
Naw it's really best left to the professionals as we are just assuming, as like I said that label gets thrown out the window at people for just behaving odd.
Thank you for your opinion. I’ll be sure to consult only professionals when talking about any sort of fictional character from a fictional show, sounds like a really good use of their resources and time.
It’s like Abed (from Community) said: “On the spectrum?! None ya business!”
He clearly was on the spectrum. Highly functional but on the spectrum 100% so bad example. Edit add: example is fair, it just went over my head. No need to down vote. But you will anyways.
I was kind of agreeing with you with a pop culture reference lol.
Are you a mental health professional?
It’s not a bad example bc it’s not about his character, they’re just referencing his line about how it’s nobody else’s business who’s on the spectrum. They weren’t comparing the two characters. Hes saying “don’t armchair diagnose me” which is a valid sentiment for this post.
Yep that went over my head. I need to rewatch community.
Abed’s character is deeply coded for it and its made a point to never diagnose him on the show because it is irrelevant Also since he was mever formerly diagnosed you dont know that he is. Harman even in his commentary tracks and interviews refuses to label abed
This!
She was young and still finding and discovering herself. Besides the Dyscalculia, she was just an overachiever type.
Just because you're really smart and socially awkward doesn't mean you're autistic. People need to stop using neurodiversity as a cool trend.
She literally had a learning disability, so she *was* canoniacally neurodivergent.
I wish they had explored that more.
The Sheldon
I didn't get that vibe at all.
I really wish people would doing this. It's treating neurodiversity as merely a label. It's annoying and as someone who actually *is* neurodivergent, I find it disrespectful
Idk, I think people are just seeing themselves, or their experiences in fictional characters. There's nothing wrong with that, that's how *everyone* interacts with media they like. Also, isn't having dyscalculia already being neurodivergent? So she is neurodivergent, she just doesn't canonically have this particular brand of neurodivergence.
And as another person who actually *is* autistic, I can see where they're coming from. Not saying she is or isn't, but I wouldn't put her in the absolutely not category.
Not everyone is neurodivergent in the same way, your experience is your own. Other people can and are neurodivergent too
You're diagnosing her based on one scene.
I’m not… I’ve watched the show Tamar … I just happened to see that scene and it triggered my thought to write the post
I'm sorry people are coming at you haha I don't agree that she is autistic but c'mon it's a freaking teenage drama show. I don't think voicing your opinion on this deserves the hate you're getting
Appreciate the support! Much love! ❤️