Ok I just thought I should mention that I myself am indeed neurodivergent and I'm just piecing together Donnie's neurodivergent traits and one of the creators of ROTTMNT have confirmed that Donnie is supposed to have autistic/neurodivergent traits. Also why is this getting like but not the original I posted on TikTok... Edit: Check out this creator's video about Donnie's neurodivergence ruclips.net/video/bjw9jqVvFBU/видео.html Edit II: I thought I should mention all of this was edited by a child (me) on a phone on a free editing app so it's not great Edit III: I know his character writing isn't perfect and that's why I have written my own character who is autistic and have tried to make him not blend into the idea that all autistic people are the same. Edit four: I made subtitles
It is confirmed not canon that Donnie has Autism. It is more of glorified funny aspects of it that give him a quirky nerd character. The creator you're speaking of doesn't get to decide what is canon. Only what they were inspired by. I have asked numerous people that have worked on the show at cons and they deny it.
They made the series a modern kind of goofy. But in its design and catering to the youngest generation of turtles fans they have done justice for neuro-divergent peoples and characters. Few are the extremes, and you’ve a greater likelihood of running into an individual like Donny. Thank you for sharing some solid highlights
I literally LOVE this! Being someone who has autism, the team being Rise of the TMNT has done absolute JUSTICE in terms of representation! Absolutely perfect! And lots of the time, this reminds me of ME. Especially when Donnie stims! I'm all for it! And it's just wonderful to see accurately good representation for neurodiversity and those who have autism!
@@emilyannthevioletghost715 THATS AMAZING!!!! I remember my therapist was wondering if I was autistic but in the end it was several other symptoms from my other mental illnesses that made it look like autism
Not to mention the fact that donnie has harmful stims as well! I personally struggle with skin scratching, and seeing donnie do the same makes me more aware of it, as well as being a soft reminder to stop if I notice it
And I also love how they didn’t make Donnie an unlikeable character. It would have been so easy to make him a bad character but even people that don’t relate to him still love him (me included).
This is so perfect!!! Also remember in the episode where splinter tricks him into the competition? When Donnie says "You lied!" Etc, he angry/upset stims SO MUCH i LOVE IT
The “You LIED” hit hard too. Like, HARD. he really felt like splinter didnt actually want to spend time with him with something he spent time on, and he seemed GENUINELY hurt until Splinter corrects that he really did want to spend time with him, although he did lie about the car thingy
His “I mean- go team,” is possibly my favorite bc that’s fucking me all day. I’ll use dark humor i use with friends around my siblings and then backtrack so fucking fast
My mom often calls me autistic,and I don't know why she keep insulting me like that.She never took me to the doctor on this matter,so how she know am i or not?Even if i am,what did i do wrong?I don't know what should I do
@@Inna-hi3ch Okay, that's rude, condescending and probably offensive to autistic people. The next time your mom calls you that ask her those exact questions and tell her she should probably go and do some research on autism before going around and labeling people like that( and using it as an insult). And if she really thinks that you may be autistic she should take you to see a doctor and have it properly diagnosed.
@@Inna-hi3ch You don't have to do anything wrong to be autistic, it's just something you are or aren't, it's only more of a struggle if you're in a situation where your needs aren't being met (like if you were never diagnosed or you were and never told). I'd suggest asking ur mom why she keeps calling you that? lol or suggest that she gets you diagnosed then (People who use autism as an insult tend to backtrack so fast at the possibility that the people they're insulting might be it) so idk, she might drop it. Best of luck
@@Inna-hi3ch ask her to take you if she genuinely thinks you’re autistic. If she won’t, then either commit crimes by stealing your mom’s money and car or wait till you’re 18
How about that episode where he says “if mystic powers can do everything I can do but *better*, then why would you even need me?” That feeling where you *have* to be able to produce, create, etc something that people care about otherwise you feel that you’ll get tossed aside, cuz who would want you? Wait a minute perfect example THE PURPLE DRAGONS!!
My personal headcanon is that the disaster twins have autism (Don) and ADHD (Leon). For several reasons, but also because I totally had a similar headcanon for 2012- Leo being hyperfixated on sci-fi media which gratefully continues here!! Also all the stims and humour is so great and so relatable and awesome to see in one of my fav turtles, especially when TMNT has been my special interest for years!
@@maiyaallred3992 Honestly yeah, wouldn't be surprised. Kinda been playing with the idea that Raph is ADHD innatentive while Leo is ADHD hyperactive/combined. Mike gives combined energy- I think I saw someone headcannon them as ASD and ADHD. REGARDLESS- you must consider the genetic probability connected to Splints-
He does some really wonderful happy stimming and shit in Lair Games, definitely my favorite few seconds of animation ever, because I definitely do that. But thank you so fucking much for this I love it so much!!!
I honestly love Donnie. He's my absolute favourite. He reminds me so much of my baby brother (ADHD/autistic) and his dry sense of humour is so fun! He's exactly what I loved from the 2012 TMNT but with less emotional drama (looking at you April love triangle -.-) and more sarcasm! He also makes me realize that maybe I should get screened for ADHD too (genetic predisposition anyways), considering just how much I relate to him and Mikey's hyperfixations
When you kin a character because you have a hyper active imagination and are sarcastic 24/7 people start to ask if your being rude on purpose. Yeah this is why he's my favorite 😂😅
I get so giddy whenever he is on screen being himself because I see so much of myself in his actions. I can relate to the behavioural patterns, the stimming, aversion to touch so painfully, but what makes me the happiest is that he is a full person. he isn't just touch-avoidant or emotionless. Sometimes he feels too much, but he is also uncomfortable with what he considers excessive displays of emotion, he avoids touch but doesn't mind it when it's by his terms. It feels like he is a complicated and an independent character not defined by his neurotype but not having that part of him ignored. I have ADHD and autism so you can only imagine how validating it is to see a character act the way I do and have it be a positive experience. I love how casually he is represented
Me, an autistic individual who loves tech & science, I find a major connection with Donnie! Rise is another interest of mine. And also the fact that Donnie and I share the same favorite color is freaking awesome
First time a watched this video was a few weeks ago and I would’ve never learned who donnie was or would’ve started watching this show if it wasn’t for this video, thank you for making it
Thank you for being the reason why I got into this fandom btw! I found this video when it first came out, and this is now one of my favorite shows of all time. And of course, Donnie is still my favorite XD.
Okay, Donnie and Raf Esquivel from Transformers Prime should be used as examples during diagnosis. I'm not kidding either. (I'm more higher functioning but it took 15 years of school to be where I'm at now and I'll explain the second guy.) Raf is Bumblebee's human charge who is the only human to understand him and compares it to Morse code but people trained in Morse code can't figure out his speech at all. So, hyperfixation. Raf also is considered a gifted child, thus had to transfer to the high school every other human is at when you first meet them, when he's 13, so higher stimulation required and more socialization practice according to occupational therapists. Next, EYE CONTACT. Raf intentionally never fully looks at the eyes of anyone including Bee, he's looking more near noses or things on their head, and you can tell it isn't from early 2010s model rigs, it was very intentional. Also, he is phenomenal with coding and the internet meaning he hyperfixated so hard he was able to access an alien ship's tech interfaces and mess with them. Finally, he tries to stay in control of things that are outside of his schedule but you can see he is losing his grip during it because it isn't an adjusted routine.
god i love donnie so much i've never seen rep this good except maybe on the owl house! i'm so glad children are able to grow up with nd characters and feel normal now adays i remember feeling like such a freak of nature growing up
When Donnie called his brothers dum dum, it reminds me of that one time when I was 10, I called a classmate of mine stupid face cus he cut my queue when we were doing javelins throw practices at school
Donnie is like my spirit animal I relate to him so much in every iteration ESPECIALLY RISE like omg he’s so relatable I love him And that lady’s and gentleman is why Donatello is my favorite turtle thank you VwV also I even made an entire video about Donnie’s autism and why I find him so relatable so yeah boi we found the perfect mascot for autism
Getting upset over that bent corner on a special edition is so very me, I feel seen lol. But this compilation reminded me of Sokka, which gives me a lot to think over
Yes, Donnie's mostly a mad scientist that just so happened to be on the good guys' side, (don't challenge it) he's a freakin' menace, he absolutely LOVES destruction and overkill, but he's so adorable when he's just happy! Actually that autism part is the sweetest and most innocent part about him! Don't get me wrong I don't mean to infantalize anything, I have ADHD, I stim and struggle with sensory overload and even anhedonia to an extent.
I don't watch this show, but I've seen several clips of ROTTTMNT Donny, and he's right up there with Zoidberg, Hop Pop, and Duck from Almost Naked Animals in terms of funny cartoon characters.
![[LAST REUPLOAD] Donnie being autistic for like... so many minutes](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/V6k-7z5gQjQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Ok I just thought I should mention that I myself am indeed neurodivergent and I'm just piecing together Donnie's neurodivergent traits and one of the creators of ROTTMNT have confirmed that Donnie is supposed to have autistic/neurodivergent traits. Also why is this getting like but not the original I posted on TikTok...
Edit: Check out this creator's video about Donnie's neurodivergence ruclips.net/video/bjw9jqVvFBU/видео.html
Edit II: I thought I should mention all of this was edited by a child (me) on a phone on a free editing app so it's not great
Edit III: I know his character writing isn't perfect and that's why I have written my own character who is autistic and have tried to make him not blend into the idea that all autistic people are the same.
Edit four: I made subtitles
probably because TikTok doesn’t give proper credits to the original creators lol
It is confirmed not canon that Donnie has Autism. It is more of glorified funny aspects of it that give him a quirky nerd character. The creator you're speaking of doesn't get to decide what is canon. Only what they were inspired by. I have asked numerous people that have worked on the show at cons and they deny it.
@@toaster4975 damn did u get the gold with all the mental gymnastics ur doing?
@@toaster4975 Apparently, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's actually a really big titmouse.
@@toaster4975 And where do you think the inspiration for, “quirky nerd characters,” comes from?
I can never get over the hissing, it's like seeing myself on a screen
SAMEEEEEE like little cat boy just like me fr
Same, I feel called out.
HIISIISISIISHSHHSHSIHSJAHJSHSH
This whole video feels like me lol
Same
They made the series a modern kind of goofy. But in its design and catering to the youngest generation of turtles fans they have done justice for neuro-divergent peoples and characters. Few are the extremes, and you’ve a greater likelihood of running into an individual like Donny.
Thank you for sharing some solid highlights
Ikr
As a donnie kinnie i concur
I literally LOVE this! Being someone who has autism, the team being Rise of the TMNT has done absolute JUSTICE in terms of representation! Absolutely perfect! And lots of the time, this reminds me of ME. Especially when Donnie stims! I'm all for it! And it's just wonderful to see accurately good representation for neurodiversity and those who have autism!
I haven’t actually watched it but like is it confirmed or just people recognizing the symptoms
@@alexandrarivera2332 It's confirmed
@@emilyannthevioletghost715 THATS AMAZING!!!! I remember my therapist was wondering if I was autistic but in the end it was several other symptoms from my other mental illnesses that made it look like autism
Not to mention the fact that donnie has harmful stims as well! I personally struggle with skin scratching, and seeing donnie do the same makes me more aware of it, as well as being a soft reminder to stop if I notice it
@@justaperson4656 literally SAME! When I'm angry or stressed enough, I stim by hitting myself, especially my head.
And I also love how they didn’t make Donnie an unlikeable character. It would have been so easy to make him a bad character but even people that don’t relate to him still love him (me included).
The little giggle and arms waving when he snuck into the school genuinely makes me laugh loudly everytime
As someone neurodivergent, I ADORE THIS DONNIE!!
Dafuq does Nero divergent mean?😂
@@xcarnage3936 The term “neurodivergent” means people whose brain differences affect how their brain works 👍🏾
@@xcarnage3936 or for example, neurodivergent people are the ones who have autism, adhd or tourette.
your sally icon... absolute taste
@@meltedmarshmellowpeep thanks ❤👍🏾
As a girl with autism I can relate with this so much
Same 🥰😂
Same.
Same lol
Same, and I absolutely LOVE this!
But I thought Donnie was non-binary
This is so perfect!!! Also remember in the episode where splinter tricks him into the competition? When Donnie says "You lied!" Etc, he angry/upset stims SO MUCH i LOVE IT
I know after I watched that episode I really wanted to include those scenes but I couldn't find them anywhere
The “You LIED” hit hard too. Like, HARD. he really felt like splinter didnt actually want to spend time with him with something he spent time on, and he seemed GENUINELY hurt until Splinter corrects that he really did want to spend time with him, although he did lie about the car thingy
Can someone send a link to the video?
@@FREAKOFNATURE-mb8oo ruclips.net/video/LtfFFeS7i74/видео.html
@@Caught_In_The_Vortex here dude! ruclips.net/video/LtfFFeS7i74/видео.html
His “I mean- go team,” is possibly my favorite bc that’s fucking me all day. I’ll use dark humor i use with friends around my siblings and then backtrack so fucking fast
Yeah same lol
i legit watched this and thought "is this not how everyone acts?" and i think i need to see a doctor
Welp congrats and welcome to the ASD fam! Grab a stim toy, diagnosis is optional and come vibe
My mom often calls me autistic,and I don't know why she keep insulting me like that.She never took me to the doctor on this matter,so how she know am i or not?Even if i am,what did i do wrong?I don't know what should I do
@@Inna-hi3ch Okay, that's rude, condescending and probably offensive to autistic people. The next time your mom calls you that ask her those exact questions and tell her she should probably go and do some research on autism before going around and labeling people like that( and using it as an insult). And if she really thinks that you may be autistic she should take you to see a doctor and have it properly diagnosed.
@@Inna-hi3ch You don't have to do anything wrong to be autistic, it's just something you are or aren't, it's only more of a struggle if you're in a situation where your needs aren't being met (like if you were never diagnosed or you were and never told). I'd suggest asking ur mom why she keeps calling you that? lol or suggest that she gets you diagnosed then (People who use autism as an insult tend to backtrack so fast at the possibility that the people they're insulting might be it) so idk, she might drop it. Best of luck
@@Inna-hi3ch ask her to take you if she genuinely thinks you’re autistic. If she won’t, then either commit crimes by stealing your mom’s money and car or wait till you’re 18
How about that episode where he says “if mystic powers can do everything I can do but *better*, then why would you even need me?”
That feeling where you *have* to be able to produce, create, etc something that people care about otherwise you feel that you’ll get tossed aside, cuz who would want you?
Wait a minute perfect example THE PURPLE DRAGONS!!
They pretty much are written like the OPPOSITE of April and her amazing speech!
I RELATE SO HARD
My personal headcanon is that the disaster twins have autism (Don) and ADHD (Leon). For several reasons, but also because I totally had a similar headcanon for 2012- Leo being hyperfixated on sci-fi media which gratefully continues here!! Also all the stims and humour is so great and so relatable and awesome to see in one of my fav turtles, especially when TMNT has been my special interest for years!
I feel like Mikey also screams adhd. Raph maybe with his hyperfixations but im not sure what. All scream neuro-divergant
@@maiyaallred3992 Mikey is also confirmed as being ADHD too! So Donnie and Mikey are canon ND characters!😁💜🧡🐢🐢
I also agree that everyone screams ND!
@@maiyaallred3992 Honestly yeah, wouldn't be surprised. Kinda been playing with the idea that Raph is ADHD innatentive while Leo is ADHD hyperactive/combined. Mike gives combined energy- I think I saw someone headcannon them as ASD and ADHD.
REGARDLESS- you must consider the genetic probability connected to Splints-
@@arabellasterwerf7980 thats so cool! I didnt realize until I saw these videos!
I LOVE!!! 2012 TMNT!!
Every time my mom or brother sees this Donnie they go “NJ, when did you become a turtle?”
One of my top favorite Donnies
😂 That's great
Yo:
I watched this with my dad, and he was like "Wow, Em, it's like seeing you in a cartoon." I love this Donnie SO much!
He does some really wonderful happy stimming and shit in Lair Games, definitely my favorite few seconds of animation ever, because I definitely do that. But thank you so fucking much for this I love it so much!!!
No he fucking doesn't. Stop.
@@toaster4975 lmao cope
@@toaster4975 bestie the writers already confirmed it. Cope n seethe :)
as someone who's neurodivergent, all i have to say is ' he just like me fr '
It's like they combined Michelangelo's personality to him
The writers: I am going to create a character that is so LOVEABLE
I honestly love Donnie. He's my absolute favourite. He reminds me so much of my baby brother (ADHD/autistic) and his dry sense of humour is so fun! He's exactly what I loved from the 2012 TMNT but with less emotional drama (looking at you April love triangle -.-) and more sarcasm! He also makes me realize that maybe I should get screened for ADHD too (genetic predisposition anyways), considering just how much I relate to him and Mikey's hyperfixations
I love Donnie so MUCH
When you kin a character because you have a hyper active imagination and are sarcastic 24/7 people start to ask if your being rude on purpose.
Yeah this is why he's my favorite 😂😅
There’s also when he stims in the lair games after he won it’s legit so cute and relatable for me :)))
This is the only series where i love every turtle brother
He's so cute and adorable.🥰
AGREEEEEED
He’s been my favorite for years, plus purp is me favorite color
“Gentlemen, if you need me, I’ll be living inside this cabinet”
0:13
Donnie:OH MI GOSH!!!! 😭+🥰
0:14 as someone with a absolute unit of a jacket collection i relate to this
.... you know.... I'm starting to think I need to go to the doctor cause this is very relatable
Stuff like this leaves me in a very awkward position. Cuz I’m see a lot of my self in this kind of character. But I don’t want to self diagnose.
Same
as some one with ADHD, I approve this
I get so giddy whenever he is on screen being himself because I see so much of myself in his actions. I can relate to the behavioural patterns, the stimming, aversion to touch so painfully, but what makes me the happiest is that he is a full person. he isn't just touch-avoidant or emotionless. Sometimes he feels too much, but he is also uncomfortable with what he considers excessive displays of emotion, he avoids touch but doesn't mind it when it's by his terms. It feels like he is a complicated and an independent character not defined by his neurotype but not having that part of him ignored. I have ADHD and autism so you can only imagine how validating it is to see a character act the way I do and have it be a positive experience. I love how casually he is represented
I literaly love hi
**DAZZEL**
Everything deserves to be dazzled 😌
Exucuse you everything need BA-dazzled
Me, an autistic individual who loves tech & science, I find a major connection with Donnie! Rise is another interest of mine. And also the fact that Donnie and I share the same favorite color is freaking awesome
I did not know the satin fabric thing was a shared experience for us folks but i feel so seen
God, he's just so freaking relatable.
Wait...
i would happily listen to donnie nerd out about science and technology while understanding almost none of it lmao
First time a watched this video was a few weeks ago and I would’ve never learned who donnie was or would’ve started watching this show if it wasn’t for this video, thank you for making it
As someone who was the Donnie of my former friend group who loves Donnie and a neurodivergent herself, I thoroughly approve
also anyone else spent the entire half of the video hardly paying attention and instead going "i wonder how long it took to animate this"
me an undiagnosed mentally unhealthy human being: haha purple turtle go brr
I swear I don't know why this comment made me laugh so much
2:08 HE SOUNDS SO SAD ITS GETTING ME EMOTIONAL
Also known as, “me Kining Donnie for a whole 3.17 minutes
I'm afraid of togetherness. 😭
Same tho
Thank you for being the reason why I got into this fandom btw! I found this video when it first came out, and this is now one of my favorite shows of all time. And of course, Donnie is still my favorite XD.
Okay, Donnie and Raf Esquivel from Transformers Prime should be used as examples during diagnosis. I'm not kidding either.
(I'm more higher functioning but it took 15 years of school to be where I'm at now and I'll explain the second guy.)
Raf is Bumblebee's human charge who is the only human to understand him and compares it to Morse code but people trained in Morse code can't figure out his speech at all. So, hyperfixation. Raf also is considered a gifted child, thus had to transfer to the high school every other human is at when you first meet them, when he's 13, so higher stimulation required and more socialization practice according to occupational therapists. Next, EYE CONTACT. Raf intentionally never fully looks at the eyes of anyone including Bee, he's looking more near noses or things on their head, and you can tell it isn't from early 2010s model rigs, it was very intentional. Also, he is phenomenal with coding and the internet meaning he hyperfixated so hard he was able to access an alien ship's tech interfaces and mess with them. Finally, he tries to stay in control of things that are outside of his schedule but you can see he is losing his grip during it because it isn't an adjusted routine.
i bounce my legs around a lot as a happy stim so seeing donnie do it in lair games was really neat
I love all of the Teenage Mutant Neurodivergent Turtles so much
As a guy with BOTH I feel called out 🤣🤣🤣
Ditto.
All these characters are so me and I love them for it
Between this and The Owl House I've never felt more love for neurodivergent protagonists before.
And Amphibia (although Sprig isn’t the protagonist).
@@chloejoyhenry3137 Marcy is best girl must protecc
He's literally me, I love him 🐢💜🌈🧩
god i love donnie so much
i've never seen rep this good except maybe on the owl house!
i'm so glad children are able to grow up with nd characters and feel normal now adays
i remember feeling like such a freak of nature growing up
This is SO accurate. Even if it was done for humour.
This was amazing i’m so happy people find comfort in him and children will do
1:08- "I'm afraid of togetherness"
This could not be more accurate. Love it!
I never watched this show but I think I will now because I have never related to a character more
his grinch smile i cant.
POV- this video is how I found out what I do is Stimming
I haven't watched any of this yet but I fucking LOVE this character already!
As someone with both I approve
When Donnie called his brothers dum dum, it reminds me of that one time when I was 10, I called a classmate of mine stupid face cus he cut my queue when we were doing javelins throw practices at school
Bro I was always a fan of Mikey but seeing this makes me relate so much to Donatello-
I’m sorry Mikey I have a new favorite character…
Growing up, I always loved Mikey. Buy when I watched this, he’s just like me fr
Ngl the hoodie bit be accurate to a T
MY FAVORITE SCRUNGLY EVER!!
As someone who is getting tested for ADHD this is scarily accurate to what I've been displaying 😭
Boi- MIRROR?!
Me being able to see myself in my favourite character makes me ✨ *sparkle with joy* ✨
ITS LIKE ME ON THE SCREEN, WHAT THE HELL I- OH MY GOD
0:21 "HA HAHA-"
i have not been diagnosed with anything, but all i have to say is, i literally relate to him and mikey sm what 😭
This is so relatable! I never knew I would be called out by my favorite character 💜😄
Donnie is like my spirit animal I relate to him so much in every iteration ESPECIALLY RISE like omg he’s so relatable I love him
And that lady’s and gentleman is why Donatello is my favorite turtle thank you VwV also I even made an entire video about Donnie’s autism and why I find him so relatable so yeah boi we found the perfect mascot for autism
Getting upset over that bent corner on a special edition is so very me, I feel seen lol. But this compilation reminded me of Sokka, which gives me a lot to think over
Donnie needs to stop being relatable or else I have to go get tested
I can confirm that this is the best representation of Autism and ADHD in Media.
(Source: I have Asperger’s Syndrome, Depression, and ADHD)
I loved the 2012 tmnt. This though.
My heart melts
Yes, Donnie's mostly a mad scientist that just so happened to be on the good guys' side, (don't challenge it) he's a freakin' menace, he absolutely LOVES destruction and overkill, but he's so adorable when he's just happy! Actually that autism part is the sweetest and most innocent part about him! Don't get me wrong I don't mean to infantalize anything, I have ADHD, I stim and struggle with sensory overload and even anhedonia to an extent.
I have never seen this show, nor have I ever been into tmnt but now I have a crush on this funky goofy guy
This dude be a total vibe! Love it!
im not autistic (just adhd) but i relate to all of this. i happy stimmed like 20 times while watching this :]]]]]]
Donnie is so Cute and adorable 😍😍😍😍😍😍
i actually have adhd and autism and i can see myself most of the time
Every happy stim he has is like looking in a mirror
HOLY SHIT THE HISSING ITS CALLING ME OUT I SWEAR
The animation is so flawless tho
Okay everyone has to admit that I'm the better twin😌😌
He’s so relatable💀
1:44, i love this guy
"I can divide by biographies"
me too Donnie, me too
Donnie is new favorite character
He's who I relate to the most
I don't watch this show, but I've seen several clips of ROTTTMNT Donny, and he's right up there with Zoidberg, Hop Pop, and Duck from Almost Naked Animals in terms of funny cartoon characters.
I think this helped me realize I may be a bit neurodivergent 💀
These moments hit way too close to home by god
Asking as a neurotypical person, can someone define stimming for me?
A repeated movement that is used to stimulate a neurodivergent person's emotions commonly seen stims are hand flapping or bouncing up in down
i have what i call "exitement spasms" little did i know that was probably just me stimming before i knew what that was (| )
These are two very different worlds.
i love him so so much