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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Chun-tzu" data-source="post: 528173" data-attributes="member: 1441">A few years ago, I applied for a PT job working with an autistic kid, as part of a team. I didn't get the job >sigh<.Yeah, I'd agree that River's not a typical autistic individual (and she may not even meet all the criteria for it). I don't know about bipolar, though. Whatever River's thing is, any mood shifts seem to be secondary to her main problems. You could argue that she's schizophrenic, since she's so out of touch with reality. But again, she's missing some of the classic symptoms of schizophrenia, i.e. paranoia and hearing voices.But there's a theory that people with schizophrenia are constantly flooded with sensory stimuli that they can't filter, they get it all at once, and in the recent hospital episode, they alluded that something similar is happening with River. If River really is telepathic, it must be ten times worse, being flooded with the thoughts and emotions of other people. But as far as we know, this doesn't happen all the time; she just catches glimpses into the minds of others.I don't know that Joss and Tim were modelling any particular disorder with River. But that doesn't really matter, since craziness comes in many, many different shapes.</blockquote>