NEURODIVERSITY REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA THURSDAY| Maria Vonn Trapp from the Sound of Music

"How do you solve a problem like Maria?" ---line from the song Maria from the Sound of Music (1965).  A perfect representation on how it felt like growing up as someone with AuDHD.  If you've never seen this classic film...YOU NEED TO!!! This film is my main comfort movie.  I watch it AT LEAST once a month, and that's no joke.  It calms my anxiety and is just pure nostalgia.  

**IF YOU PROCEED TO CONTINUE READING AND HAVEN'T WATCHED SOUND OF MUSIC YET...IT'S ON DISNEY+ IF YOU'RE IN THE U.S. ***

I'll give you reasons why you should watch this film before you leave to watch it (pay no attention to the fact that it's 3hrs long...).  There's:

• Romance
• Music/singing
• It's historical fiction
• Dame Julie Andrews & Christopher Plummer
• Nuns
• Nazis
• Dancing
• Nature (aka. the Austrian Alps)
• A wee bit of violence

Here's a picture with Maria (Julie Andrews) with the Von Trapp kids during the Do-Re-Mi scene:

Okay, NOW since the haters/people who haven't experienced joy have left, let's start at the very beginning (of the film).  

We start with Maria being Maria during the opening song Sound of Music (the Hills are Alive).  She's very curious about nature and easily distracted it due to her sensory experience with it.  

Next, we meet the nuns and discover that Maria isn't anywhere to be found in the abbey, which gives them a moment to share how much of a problem she is to the abbey and why she isn't going to make a good nun.  I've had this experience before.  I've had teachers, coworkers, and classmates say this about me...but in a different way.  I'm chaotic and curious!! Heaven forbid I want to enjoy what God has given me.

To top it all off, Maria runs in while the sisters are singing about how much of a problem she is to them...
She's always late for chapel...she's always late for everything!––shows that Maria struggles with time management, which is a common trait for people with autism and ADHD.

This video is the song Maria.  I included it because it 100% is an example of how it feels like others see you as a neurodivergent individual:

Next, Mother Abyss calls Maria into her office to tell her she's been called by God to be a governess (nanny) to the Von Trapp children.  When she's told this, she FREAKS out!  She doesn't want to give up the cushy life she has of being a nun.

The chart below is some more examples of how Maria show neurodivergent traits.

Behavior / Trait	Movie Moment Example	Possible Neurodivergent Interpretation
Time blindness	Shows up late to the abbey after singing in the hills	Classic ADHD sign—losing track of time when engaged in a passion
Curiosity about nature	Wanders the mountains, sings about the world outside	Deep interest in the natural world—a potential special interest
Anxiety around change	Nervous about leaving the convent to become a governess	Transition anxiety—common in both autism and ADHD
Loud when passionate	Raises her voice when excited or speaking from the heart	Emotional intensity; expressing without masking
Adventurous spirit	Climbs trees, hikes mountains, teaches kids to explore	Sensory-seeking, novelty-loving—classic ADHD trait
Unbothered by social expectations	Wears old clothes, doesn’t conform to fashion norms	May not track or value social grooming expectations
People-pleasing tendencies	Tries hard to fit in with the abbey and follow the rules	Fawning or masking behavior to feel accepted
Emotionally sensitive	Becomes withdrawn after realizing she loves the Captain	Emotional intensity; vulnerability in relationships
Caring and nurturing	Comforts Liesl and the kids during storms and big feelings	High empathy; emotionally attuned to others
Clumsy / physically awkward	Trips when nervous, fumbles while getting used to her role	Possible motor awkwardness—often seen in ND folks
Doesn’t fit into rigid systems	Other nuns describe her as a “problem”	Common experience for ND people in traditional institutions
Self-regulates and co-regulates	Sings “My Favorite Things” during the thunderstorm	Uses coping tools (song, routine) to calm herself and others

So yeah, maybe Maria was a “problem” to the nuns… but to me? She’s the blueprint. She’s time-blind, overly emotional, sings when she’s anxious, climbs trees, wears whatever, and feels everything way too deeply. In this house, we call that relatable.

If you’ve ever felt like you were “too much” or just couldn’t fit into the mold, Maria shows us that maybe being different isn’t wrong—it’s actually the thing that makes you unforgettable. She makes me feel seen. And if you’re neurodivergent and ever felt out of place, I hope she helps you feel that too.

Now go stream Sound of Music on Disney+ (yes, it’s almost 3 hours, no, I’m not sorry) and tell me your favorite song. Mine’s Do-Re-Mi forever. 🎶

***DISCLAIMER: Maria Von Trapp isn't a diagnosed neurodivergent character.  However, she displays a lot of qualities of someone who is neurodivergent, which means a lot of her neurodiverse traits are dominant.***

If you liked this blog post, comment, share, etc.  Have any comments, questions, etc.? Reach out to me by messaging me on instagram @agirllivingwithaudhd or email me  alyssa.onthespectrum@gmail.com.