What disability does Dory have?
Written on 15th Jun 2020 by Alex Lowery
What characters in animated films do you find you can relate to? I myself actually relate a lot to Dory from the Pixar films, Finding Nemo & Finding Dory. When you watch those films, it’s quite obvious that Dory has some kind of disability but the question is, what disability does she have? Is she autistic? Is she Learning Disabled? See what my theory is below.
It’s quite obvious that Dory has anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to form new memories. I also see many of the signs of ADHD within the character. I headcanon her as having an exaggerated version of ADHD because she gets distracted extremely easily and can’t keep her attention on one thing. In the first film, her short-term memory was mostly played for laughs but in the sequel, they explore the impact it has on her a lot more. When she gets distracted, she’s forgotten what her first thought was. Similar to Dory, I also struggle with my short term memory, though I do make up for this with my excellent long term memory. Dory is unable to go to many places by herself because she tends to get lost and forgets her way there and back. I’m also unable to go to many places independently because my sense of direction is just hopeless.
If you watch Finding Dory you can also see that Dory suffers from high levels of anxiety. Her fears and insecurities constantly get the best of her and you can see she really starts to fall apart. This makes Finding Dory one of my favourites films from Pixar. I found I could relate to it so much because I also struggle with anxiety and it’s done so effectively in the film.
Another interesting thing about Dory is how her memory doesn’t seem to be a problem in some ways. She can remember how to speak Whale fluently but might well forget meeting someone mere seconds after a single conversation. I’ve heard someone say this is a writing problem and an inconsistency. However, I actually don’t find it to be that unplausible. My memory is very hit or miss. Some things I remember extremely well and other things I forget instantly. I can imagine Dory’s memory being similar where she can remember certain things that really interest her a lot but other things go over her head.
Thank you for reading. Please let me know if you agree or disagree in the comments below.
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I did think that maybe she doesn’t have a disability, maybe she is a fish and that is how she has been made.
I think she has dyspraxcia
hey there champion!
great article, a really fun read. I enjoyed it thoroughly but I disagree with your theory as to what dory has. She is quite clearly autism
Thank you for your comment. That’s an interseting theory. What gives you the impression she has autism? I’m just curious.