What Sheldon Cooper Teaches Us About Neurodiversity
Sometimes, the genius is in the labels. Sheldon Cooper is both a genius and a complex individual who stands out in a cast full of brilliant yet socially awkward characters, including his roommate Leonard, co-workers Howard and Raj, and eventually, his significant other Amy. His level of genius as a physicist is difficult to label (Sheldon himself says his IQ cannot be accurately measured by normal tests). As a fictional character in a television situation comedy, the writers of The Big Bang Theory used his extraordinary intelligence and unique personality traits to create comedic situations when his distinctive behaviors consistently fail to contribute to his personal and professional relationships.
And yet Sheldon thrives (sort of).
On the spectrum
Autism as a spectrum of conditions was first presented in the 1994 edition of the American Psychiatric Association's manual, the DSM-IV, which uses common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders, from that point on, being "on the spectrum" referred to the wide variety of types of symptoms and the severity of those symptoms that children and adults experience when dealing with Autism.
Autism Spectrum is a label whose core intent (similar to Sheldon's) is never to harm and instead to provide solutions. The story writers use Sheldon's condition, which is never labeled, to create a weekly comedy series that ran for 12 seasons through 279 episodes, where Sheldon repeatedly redeems himself despite how his actions affect others around him.
When Sheldon’s behaviors don’t quite fit the norm, it’s a reminder that ‘on the spectrum’ can mean many different things, each one unique to the person, much like the way Sheldon’s oddities make him who he is.
A mind beyond limitations
Chuck Lorre and the creators behind Sheldon Cooper capitalize on Sheldon's unpredictable (and ultimately very comedic) interactions with his peers, which consistently cause friction and hurt feelings. Watching Sheldon repeatedly navigate these social missteps, only to redeem himself on a deeply emotional level, allows the audience to get a deeper understanding of neurodiversity. By embracing Sheldon’s peculiar ways, the show plays with the idea that there’s no single way to be ‘normal,’ letting his oddball genius shine as something worth celebrating rather than fixing.
Autism, viewed as a range of unique qualities, allows us to identify with people who may be considered "on the spectrum." Sheldon possesses a number of behaviors that fit into the spectrum. Even though he's a fictional character, he can't help but be a representation. Through him, we can gain an understanding of the possible neurological developments that separate him from social conformity.
One of the running jokes in the series is Sheldon declaring on numerous occasions, "I'm not crazy; my mother had me tested." In season five, the audience was gratified to learn there was more to the story when Sheldon's mother, Mary, said, "Although I do regret not following up with that specialist in Houston." There was a collective "We knew it!" uttered throughout The Big Bang Theory fandom.
But what did we think we knew?
We still didn't know for sure what that specialist in Houston would have labeled Sheldon. In season two, Penny tried to label him (at least when it comes to pair bonding), asking what his deal was. The answer? He was probably just an alien sent here to observe us humans.
Sheldon's unconventional social journey
Sheldon has an eidetic memory, which fills his mind with memories of everything that has ever happened to him. In the series, that also means he remembers everything that has ever been said or done to hurt him. He has an "enemies" list (not just a mental one; there is a hard copy somewhere on a 5 1/4-inch floppy disk). Despite his outward appearance of indifference, the fact that he holds on to these hurts is evidence of his deep feelings.
But he hurts his friends over and over again.
When the whole gang arrives in Sweden for Sheldon and Amy's Nobel Prize award ceremony in the series finale, Sheldon is self-centered and completely oblivious to everyone else's feelings, per usual. Despite Amy's cursory apology, most of the gang decided not to attend the ceremony. Sheldon is surprised, as always, saying, "But I didn't mean to." This prompts Amy to say, "You never mean to. It's the only reason people tolerate you."
Sheldon's award acceptance speech was initially going to be a long list calling out everyone who had ever teased, bullied, and told him he was worthless. "I told them all they would rue the day. How is it gonna to make me look if the day finally comes, and they're not filled with rue?" But after thinking about the fact that he hurt his friends yet again, he abandons his first speech and instead thanks his family and all his exceptional friends. Sheldon remains authentic, but this would not have led to success at all if he had been left to his own devices. His friends are the real reason he is standing on that stage, and in the end, he gives them all the credit.
Although the title of the episode could simply refer to the fact that the Nobel Prize ceremony usually takes place in Sweden's capital city, Stockholm Syndrome refers to the theory that tries to explain why hostages eventually come to bond with their captors. Similarly, Sheldon's group of friends eventually bond with him despite his hurtful behavior and constant inability to think of how his behavior affects others. They understand that Sheldon, fundamentally, never intends to harm.
Finding stability in an unpredictable world
When Sheldon inadvertently gets Penny addicted to online gaming in season two, his routines are severely disrupted, especially the ones that offer him stability and predictability. He structures himself and the people around him to manage the complexities of how he experiences his life. Because he keeps helping her with the game, Penny keeps interrupting his work and sleep (and he says if he had any other significant aspect to his life, Penny would probably be disrupting those as well). He keeps helping her because it took a lot to integrate her into his life, and to maintain stability, he does not want to lose her. ). He makes several attempts to break her of her new addiction, not just because it will stop her disruptions, but because he feels compelled to keep helping her when she asks.
Sheldon has his designated spot on the couch, which is the only one he can sit in. He has specific meal schedules, particular pajamas for each day of the week, and one night (and one night only) when he does his laundry. He even enforces, by way of the duly notarized Roommate Agreement, a bathroom schedule of when Leonard can relieve himself. Sheldon believes, whether true or not that these behaviors are integral to his ability to function optimally and achieve his goals.
For Sheldon, these routines are like a map in a world that doesn’t make sense, and anyone who’s ever relied on a ritual to get through the day might just find a bit of themselves in his struggle to hold onto what’s familiar.
Sheldon's unique humor and quirkiness
At the end of season three, Howard and Raj create an account for Sheldon on an internet dating site and connect Sheldon with Amy Farrah Fowler. Amy is a lot like a female version of Sheldon, but she still provides contrast with Sheldon's character. Amy's character also presents as a person on the Autism Spectrum but contrasts with Sheldon to provide some of the best moments of the series. Although Sheldon's feelings are buried very deeply throughout the series, Amy initially seems aloof but is quickly portrayed as deeply feeling and desperate for friendship and connection. This is obvious in her relationship with Penny, installing herself as Penny's best friend (without Penny's knowledge or consent).
Sheldon and Amy's honeymoon at the start of season 12 is an excellent example of Sheldon's ongoing quirkiness. He applies his usual rituals to his life now as a husband. Even though his desire to ritualistically schedule every aspect of their honeymoon causes Amy to walk away from him, he cares enough about her feelings to assess his behavior, make adjustments, and reconnect.
Building a community
Penny and Sheldon do Arthur Aron's "36 Questions to Fall in Love" in season eight. During the test, Sheldon admits he often misinterprets what others are feeling. If he could be gifted with one ability (one that he doesn't already have, and he would be the first to tell you almost has them all), he would want to be able to read people's minds so that he could know what they are feeling. He admits how stressful he finds not knowing if people are joking or laughing at him, mad at something he's done, or just having a bad day. When Penny wishes she could have the ability to make that stuff easier for him, the deep feelings are palpable between these two characters. Sheldon, despite his overall problems with interpersonal relationships, has formed a deep friendship bond with Penny.
When the group is split into smaller parts, Sheldon sees an interesting change in the dynamic. His character struggles with empathy on the surface but obviously cares deeply for his friends underneath, as shown in these one-on-one interactions. In season nine, Sheldon expertly customizes a game of Dungeons & Dragons to correspond to Bernadette's pregnancy. He turns the current limitations on her life into triumphs in the game, making her feel seen and important.
Even though Sheldon most often finds empathy difficult and needs to be reminded to use it, he will use his intellect to understand and relate when he is one-on-one with a member of his group. He tries his best to temporarily view the world as they are experiencing it. Not just because he has memorized an arbitrary list of what is necessary to fulfill a social obligation (his default is to provide them with a hot beverage) but because he truly loves his friends.
Achieving greatness on his terms
Even though Sheldon attempts to learn what he needs to not be in opposition with people and society, he never wavers in his core personality traits, causing comedic strife up to and including the final episode. Sheldon uses certain rituals to make sense of his life, such as trips to the train store and the comic book shop, and when those routines are disrupted, he finds them incredibly stressful. Instead of forcing Sheldon to change, Leonard tries to protect Sheldon. When their favorite restaurant closes, Leonard buys out all their take-out containers so he can repackage Sheldon's food for the next three years. Leonard cannot insulate Sheldon entirely from change, so when something monumental occurs, he tries to do what he can to help Sheldon adjust. When Leonard and Penny get engaged, Penny moves in with them, rather than Leonard moving out and leaving Sheldon to live alone.
But one of the best aspects of the portrayal of Sheldon Cooper as a genius on the Autism Spectrum is that his friends accept him for who he is, on his terms. At different times throughout the series, his friends try to guide and teach him to get along more smoothly in society (Leonard even tries to teach him how to drive). When Sheldon expresses how difficult it is to recognize emotional cues, Howard offers to get him an MIT prototype device that could identify those cues for him. They always try to help him, but ultimately, they don't try to change him.
Being a smart ass
In the film Gifted (2017), Mckenna Grace's young character is a math prodigy, and she struggles to try to fit in with the people around her. She initially doesn't solve a math problem because it was incorrectly written and decides not to point out the error. She says, "Frank says I'm not supposed to correct older people.
Nobody likes a smart ass." On the other hand, Sheldon embraces being a smart ass. The contrast between being so incredibly smart and being so socially oblivious to how he comes across to others has given us one of the most celebrated neurodiverse characters and a deeper understanding of people on the Autism Spectrum.
Article WriterKiera Polzin
Kiera Polzin is a writer/storyteller who loves Stephen King, and she collects stories adapted and read in film and television. Having an MFA in Creative Writing allows her to weave her passion for all genres of fiction into a career teaching online creative writing courses and freelance writing focusing on entertainment and pop culture. She would be most at home in Ravenclaw because she loves immersing herself in research, including occasional shifts at a rural post office, which inspired her fifth novel.
Kiera’s first YA novel can be found on Amazon and on her blog at Kiera Polzin.
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