Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. People with autism can be found in a wide variety of games ranging from MMO's to FPS's. Those who have autism find themselves more attatched to video games than any other form of media. It seems that the only way for them to interact socially (in a comfortable manner) is through online video games. Most players with autism find themselves playing games like Team Fortress 2 and Counterike: Global Offense due to the large player base and friendly enviroment of peers they can relate to. Video games bring those with autism together and there is reason to it. A study of nearly 150 boys found that those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) played video games for significantly longer periods each day than typically developing boys -- an average of 2.1 hours versus 1.2 hours. Take note that if someone is better than you at a video game, there is a high possibility they may be autistic.

Now that we covered what autism is and how it relates to video games we must move on to our second half of the guide, MLP and its relationship to video games. A study conducted in 2012 found that out of 220 people 44% have been diagnosed with autism. When asked what they do for fun 92% reported playing video games as a habit and out of that percentage 74% reported playing Team Fortress 2. Now these numbers are for those diagnosed with autism, there are many out there who wander about undiagnosed. With men making up a huge part of the brony fandom it is more likely for their fandom to be highly populated with people with autism. Approximately 18 per 1000 men have autism while the female count is much lower at 2 per 1000. With a huge majority of bronies playing Team Fortress 2 there is a connection between autism and the fandom. Many bronies can be found playing Team Fortress 2 hours on end trying to communicate amongst one another. This is a healthy enviroment for autism and it should be treated as a source of therapy for these players.