I don't see Seven as ASD coded. She has levels of trauma that can sometimes be mistaken as ASD and has lived outside of regular human society for much of her life.
You're completely right, there is obviously no deeper meaning to presenting a character who is a mature adult yet requires structured classes in order to learn how human beings socialise.
Im guessing based on your username this character is an obsession of yours, and there's a need to insist your interpretations are absolute fact. But unless the writer's state explicitly what they were intending with her character. Its all just opinions.
On another note. Despite what you might think based on a lot of comments, it is possible to discuss things on the Internet without being unnecessarily smug and condescending purely because someone contradicted your head cannon
Does Odo actually qualify for this? He can feel and comprehend and interpret emotions just fine, he is just deadly shy and insecure behind his stoic enforcer facade.
The doctor doesn’t fit either, just because he is modeled after an egomaniac asshole does not mean he is autistic.
He can feel and comprehend and interpret emotions just fine, he is just deadly shy and insecure behind his stoic enforcer facade.
This is basically describing autism too. We can feel emotions just fine. But expressing them is hard because we do so in a way that can sometimes be upsetting to others. So we become shy and put up a facade that hides how we feel about things.
Also, "ASD-coded" is different than ASD. These characters don't literally have ASD, but the fantastical sci-fi backgrounds the writers set up allow them to write the characters to behave and experience struggles in a way that is similar to someone with ASD. Especially problems fitting in with a group, socialising, and forming meaningful connections with others.
Autistic people can feel and comprehend emotions like everyone else, no difference. Not sure why those two were on your list. As far as interpreting emotion, we can, we just have to learn how instead of doing it innately, which it seems Odo did for all human behavior.
ASD coded, not literally ASD. The thematic struggle with social convention counts IMO. But Data has no self loathing or whatever. He just wants to understand. We stan Data.
Agreed, but terrible bedside manner isn't indicative of autism. And the Doctor seems to be garden-variety crotchety, which makes sense given that he's modeled on Lewis Zimmerman. I'd need other criteria to convince me he's supposed to be autistic.