he is 'special' and because I'm not tactful I will reitterate, Ralph is ret*d. Not just normal ret*d, cartoon ret*d. Ralph was meant to be the innocent kid that stupid, very very stupid. So stupid he lacks the ability to function on his own. If you see any signs he is autistic, its only because its not actually possible to get someone like him. To use an earlier example, if he was unable to notice a hole in his basket, he probably wouldn't have the mental ability to form a sentance. Thus the only real simularity to autism would be his uneven intellect, but thats there for practicality, to let him stay 'the kid so stupid he's oblivious to everything' without him becoming a vegitable.