Work Text:
Harold Steptoe
Stims: Flapping his hands, pacing.
Sensory Heaven: The smell of old books and the soft fabric of his work clothes.
Hyper- or hyposensitive? All of his senses are hyposensitive and he almost never experiences sensory overload.
Meltdowns or shutdowns? Meltdowns. They are explosive and involve Harold throwing and hitting things.
Special Interest(s): Antiques and classical music (he reads books about them and tries his best to collect everything he can about his interests).
Social Issues: Harold has several social issues. He is literal minded and doesn’t understand figures of speech. He openly struggles in social situations. He often tries to use long words when they aren’t necessary. He also struggles to notice when he is boring people or making them uncomfortable. He also has trouble regulating his emotions and is prone to mood swings, unable to process his emotions.
Communication: Harold babbles under stress and has issues getting his words out when angry or upset.
Other Neurodiverse headcanons: Anxiety and borderline personality disorder
Canon examples: In ‘Any Old Iron’, when Timothy tells him he needs to wear black tie, Harold’s response is ‘why, is somebody dead?’. In the 1974 Christmas special, when he has no idea how irritated the old couple he is talking to are. He also seems to feel his emotions very strongly and struggles to control them. In ‘The Offer’ he breaks down and sobs openly, and in ‘The Bird’ he gets violently angry over being stood up and throws things around the living room. In ‘And So To Bed’ he flaps his hands when excited about getting a water bed.