Autism On Screen

Hello besties,

Quote of the day: be patient with yourself, progress takes time.

Remember not everything is instant, not everything is straight away, give yourself some time

and grace and be patient everything that is meant to be will be because everything takes time.

This week we are discussing autism vs. TV, mainly how autism is shown on TV.

Autism shows up on TV a lot more now than it used to, which in many ways is a really good

thing. For a long time, autism either about at all, or it was shown in very narrow ways. Now

autistic characters appear in crime shows, medical dramas, comedies, and all sorts of other

series. That kind of visibility matters because it gets people talking about autism in the first

place.

Years ago, a lot of people did not really know what autism was beyond maybe one stereotype they had heard somewhere. Seeing autistic characters on television at least introduces the idea that autism exists on a spectrum and that autistic people are part of everyday life. They have jobs, friends, interests, and goals like anyone else. For some viewers, a TV show might even be the first time they realise that.

Sometimes these portrayals can even help people recognise things about themselves. There

are quite a few adults who have said that seeing a character on screen made them stop and

think, “Hang on… I relate to that a bit too much.” Even if the representation is not perfect, those moments can open the door to understanding.

And to be fair, some shows genuinely try to portray autism in a thoughtful way. They show

things like sensory overload when a place gets too loud or busy, or the confusion that can

happen in social situations where everyone seems to understand unspoken rules except you.

They might also show deep interests in particular subjects or hobbies, which is something many autistic people experience.

When TV manages to show those things while still letting the character be a full person, with

humour, personality, and relationships, it can actually feel pretty real. It reminds people that

autism is just one part of someone’s life, not their entire identity.

But of course, TV also has a habit of leaning into stereotypes, and that’s where things get a bit frustrating.

One of the most common ones is the “autistic genius” character. You know the one. They

struggle socially, they say things very bluntly, but they also have some kind of incredible

ability. Maybe they can solve complicated maths instantly, remember every tiny detail, or

crack impossible problems that no one else can figure out.

Now, it is not that autistic people cannot have amazing skills or talents. Some absolutely do.

But TV tends to exaggerate this idea so much that it almost feels like autistic characters have to be extraordinary in order to justify being there. In reality, autistic people are just as varied as anyone else. Some are academically brilliant, some struggle at school, and most fall somewhere in the middle.

Another thing TV sometimes gets wrong is the idea that autistic people do not have emotions.

Characters can be portrayed as cold, detached, or unable to understand how others feel. But that is not really how it works. A lot of autistic people actually experience emotions very

intensely. The challenge is often more about understanding social signals or expressing those feelings in ways that other people easily recognise.

TV tends to mix up “expressing emotions differently” with “not having emotions at all,” and

those are two hugely different things.

There is also the awkward moment when autistic traits become the joke. A character says

something very literal or misunderstands sarcasm, and everyone laughs at the situation.

Sometimes those moments can be funny in a relatable way—social misunderstandings

happen to everyone—but when that becomes the character’s whole role, it can feel a bit lazy.

Instead of being a real person, they become the “awkward moment machine” for the show.

Then there are the shows that clearly mean well but still miss the mark slightly. The autistic

character might mostly exist to inspire other characters or teach the audience a life lesson.

Their struggles might be simplified or exaggerated so the story works nicely within a single

episode. Real life is rarely that tidy.

One big reason for that is that autistic people have not always been involved in telling these

stories. Writers can research autism, but there is a difference between reading about

something and actually living it. When autistic writers, actors, or consultants are part of the

creative process, the characters usually feel much more natural and believable.

At the end of the day, the goal is not just to have more autistic characters on television. It is to have characters that actually feel real. The best portrayals show both the difficult moments and the ordinary ones—things like struggling with workplace communication, feeling overwhelmed in noisy environments, or realising hours later that you misunderstood a conversation.

But they also show interests, humour, friendships, and growth, because autistic people are not defined only by their challenges.

Autism on TV has definitely improved compared to where things used to be. There is more

awareness now, and more conversations happening because of it. But there’s still room to

grow. Autism is not one personality type or one set of behaviours; it is a huge spectrum of experiences.

And honestly, the more television starts to reflect that variety, the more interesting and genuine those stories will become.

I love that autism is becoming more shown and only hope it will continue to be shown and all

different sides and aspects will start to be shown.

That is, it for today guys, until next time my loves!

Love,

Your autistic bestie.

Book of the week: One by One Freida McFadden.