Autism Representation in Fictive Media
Understanding Positive and Negative Portrayals
Autism is increasingly appearing in film, TV and games. For many people, fictional media can be one of the ways they form an understanding of autism. That makes the way autistic characters are written matter. Representation that relies on stereotypes or overcorrects into unrealistic positivity can shape how audiences misunderstand autistic people. This study asked both autistic and non-autistic people what good representation looks like and where creators get it wrong.