What is autism? And what exactly does it look like?

A lot of pieces of media portray autism in a very consistent fashion: think movies like Rain Man or shows like The Good Doctor. Both have autistic protagonists who possess Einstein-like skills and intelligence, yet struggle with eye contact, have monotone speech patterns, and are often twitching or wearing mismatched outfits. It’s also often highlighted how they struggle with maintaining familial and romantic relationships.

However, all these traits don’t apply to a grand number of real-life people with the disability: many of us are socially well-adapted individuals with jobs of all kinds. We are able to use cognitive speech, go to regular schools, and a lot of autistic adults are happily married with kids, similar to the average “normal” person. 

I received my own diagnosis when I was 4 years old. Living on a small island where disabilities are still considered taboo, I wasn’t exposed to many depictions of autism, except for my other friends who were also on the spectrum. We were a small group of kids who were constantly being labeled as unintelligent or unlikable due to the stereotypes caused by such pieces of media. 

Many autistic people are compared to Sheldon Cooper, one of the protagonists on the hit series The Big Bang Theory. He is commonly assumed to be on the autism spectrum due to his behavior resembling that of other fictional neurodivergent characters. Although it has never been outright confirmed, it’s clear that the writers of Big Bang made his character to be quite compatible with neurodivergent people.

Another interesting, yet unfortunate, detail is how nearly all neurodivergent characters in media are men. Even though 3 out of 4 autistic people are male, 1 out of 4 are women. Due to the main focus of studies and media portrayals cater towards neurodivergent men, autistic women struggle to receive proper assistance, and are sadly overlooked by a lot of people.

Thankfully, things are looking up for autistic women when it comes to media portrayal: Netflix’s adaptation and remake of the Australian high school soap drama Heartbreak High features Quinni, an autistic girl played by an actress who is aIso on the spectrum. A poIar opposite from other autistic characters, she is bubbly, eccentric, and her romantic life is key to the progression of the overall plot. Sensory overload is also amazingly done with a scene demonstrating how Quinni and another friend helps her calm down. The scene also used a couple of boundaries set during such a time of vulnerability, such as limited physical contact and no flashing lights.

In 2020, Disney released the animated short film Loop, which stars Renee, a nonverbal autistic teenage girl, and how she learns to interact with Marcus, a neurotypical boy, during a canoeing exercise. Even though the film itself is only 9 minutes long, it’s regarded as one of the best representations of a nonverbal neurodivergent character in the 21st century. Echolalia, various methods of stimming, sensory overload, and nonverbal communication are all showcased. It’s also worth mentioning that unlike a lot of other autistic characters in the media, her intelligence isn’t a defining trait of her character. Instead, it’s her personality that shines through, and in the end, Renee proves to the audience that it doesn’t always have to take words to be able to socialize. She also demonstrates that even individuals with special needs can partake in regular activities, just like anyone else would.

As much progress is being made when it comes to combating decade-old assumptions, there is still a long way to go: The Good Doctor, one of the shows with the most stereotypes, was created 6 years ago, meaning that certain assumptions are still prominent in pop culture. However, with characters like Quinni and Renee, it’s clear that change is coming, and that soon we’ll be able to observe a new perspective on disabilities in the media.

Amanda Britten