Why I think Ben Tennyson has autism (and ADHD)

 Why I think Ben Tennyson has Autism (and ADHD)

I've been watching Ben 10 since it came out in my country. I always enjoyed the series and the aliens and the way things developed. 

I basically grew up along Ben. Now that I'm an adult and I can go back and pick him apart. So that's what I'm going to do. 

Autism: 

First I want to bring up that Ben seems to be obsessed with Sumo Slammers. 

Of course, I don't think someone having an interest in collecting makes someone autistic. It's the amount of time and attention Ben gives it that makes me think he has autism. 

He collects them, he plays the games, he watches the movies multiple times, he gets so into it that he neglects his relationships. 

He obviously talks about it enough it's obvious to everyone around him that he loves Sumo Slammers. To the point his catch phrase "It's hero time!" is an adaptation of the catch phrase of his favorite character. 

Other point is food. Of course his family members seen to have awful cooking habits, but Ben isn't too different. 

As much as he rejects the weird foods his mom and his grampa make he also likes weird flavors. But also, he has two comfort foods. 

Smoothies and Chili Fries. He is seen eating those more often than anything else. It's the food he eats after missions, specially hard ones. 

And on top of that, he clearly can feel the difference after a small change. He keeps complaining that the grape smoothie is not the same anymore.

Some people pointed out that the smoothies are also weird flavored. But maybe it's a texture thing. Rook mentions that Ben's mom makes multi textured food, and he doesn't like his mom's food. Maybe he liked the texture of the smoothies. It's easier to eat, and they have many "healthy" options, since it's what we see him eat more often. 

The fact that he clearly likes being an alien more than he likes being human. There's multiple occasions in which he stays as an alien for long periods of time. And he has favorite forms. Clearly preferring certain bodies over others. 

He also has a problem with authority figures. He doesn't see the point in following rules that don't align with his morals or ideals. 

And he's bad at getting certain interactions. Mostly with romantic ones. He is shown to not notice when he's being flirted at.

He also is very open to talking about his feelings, sometimes not noticing the other person is uncomfortable with this (usually with Kevin). 

ADHD: 

As for his ADHD. 

He is shown to be fidgety. He is constantly touching the watch, playing with the window's buttons, moving around. 

He gets easily distracted, but is paying attention when people think he is not. 

Many ADHD havers have the experience of being told they have so much potential. If only they applied more effort into school or job or whatever. And Ben is told that a lot. 

He also has a lot of creativity and ability with the Omnitrix. Which is something he likes. He pays more attention and is better at things he wants. 

He is shown to be impulsive. Usually going into situations without a plan or with a half formed plan. And he's rough with the Omnitrix even when he likes it a lot. Usually hitting it too hard or not even looking at the alien he's choosing. 

On top of the fact that the kid can't stay still to save his life. 

In conclusion. That guy is neurodivergent.