Where Are All the Women?
A look at ASD in the Media and Why it’s Important
The Autism Spectrum Disorder community is increasing; not for any conspiratorial, vaccine-related reasons but because of better screening, diagnostic criteria, and increased awareness. As a result, the ASD community is here to stay. So, why can you and I only name a few times we have seen someone with ASD on screen, end even less where it is explicitly said so? Just like me and just like you they deserve to see themselves represented in the media. Together, let’s look at what the current portrayal of ASD is and why we should do better.
Before we get into it, I want to take a moment to explain why I am writing this. I do not have ASD myself, but I have found a place in the community. As my older sister is a special education teacher, I do a lot of volunteering in her classroom and working with ASD organizations. I cannot speak to what it is like having ASD, and I will never know what life is like for them; however, I hope I can represent them and speak for them well in this article.
A Guide to How not to Represent ASD
November of 2020: Scrolling through my phone as I so often do, I came across an announcement by the musician Sia that she would be releasing a movie centered around a girl with ASD. I was excited. Not only was ASD going to be on the big screen, but a female with ASD. This never happens.
As you may know, the movie that was later titled Music was a bit of a dumpster fire. The intentions of the film were “good,” but the end result was harmful and damaging to the ASD community. Sia wanted to show in the movie that people with autism can do anything… but then she refused to hire an autistic person in the role of Music.
Though, don’t take my word for it. Check out this video below that articulates the problematic matter of this movie from first-hand experience.
Want to know even more? The video below places the movie in a larger context of disability representation and clearly explains why incorrect representation can be dangerous.
“By not casting actors from a background that the characters are from can lead to portrayals of these characters to come across as inauthentic or mocking of the community of which they are based on.” — Jessie Gender
Of course, it is an actor’s job to portray experiences outside their own. Still, there is a danger involved with portraying characters with disabilities that the actor does not have. If an actor has limited experience with the community, their portrayal becomes based on stereotypes. Unfortunately, that is what happened here.
All of this got me thinking: we see men with ASD in the media, but they aren’t the only people that should see themselves represented. The vastness of the ASD community is notable and large. The community is vast; one of many genders, brain capacities, ethnicities, and beliefs. So why do we only see cis white males with ASD in the media (and even that is a low number of depictions)?
Further Depiction of ASD in Media
Though, even other depictions of ASD in movies and TV are limited. Even when white men with ASD are on our screen, rarely do we see the breadth of ASD. Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory is able to get engaged and live in harmony with his friends. Shaun from The Good Doctor has a successful career as a surgeon. Sam from Atypical has the typical experience that high school students face, without any academic interventions for his ASD. Abed from the Community has ASD tendencies but is never explicitly diagnosed. Furthermore, the high-functioning nature of these characters only represents about 10 percent of people on the spectrum.
There are even short films by Disney Pixar children about children on the ASD spectrum. Though, most of these characters are, you guessed it, boys. One recently released short film called “Float” is based on the creator’s experience with his son who has ASD.
There is even a Sesame Street character names Julia with ASD. However, Julia’s addition to Sesame Street came with a caveat; Julia is used to promoting a program that suggests parents of ASD newly diagnosed children go through the five stages of grief. Yes, going through the five stages of grief for a child who is very much alive. ASD is not a death sentence; it is a diagnosis that will allow a parent to help their children move through the world in a way that makes sense to them. Grieving for a living child suggests that ASD is inherently bad and harmful when the purpose of a character with ASD should be destigmatizing neurodiversity.
However, there are some bright spots present. Another Pixar short film called “Loop” is about a nonverbal girl of color on the autism spectrum. We also have a new. Finally some change. Though, it is not enough. A few pieces of media, one short film of diversity, do not make up for the dozens of others that push harmful narratives about autism.
Why We Need Diverse Depictions of ASD
Approximately 1 in 44 children have ASD according to the CDC. This means that children will either be on the spectrum or encounter someone on the spectrum in their lifetime. Exposing neurotypical children to ASD and other disabilities through media allows them to appropriately react when they come into contact with children with disabilities. The more exposure we get to ASD allows us to lessen the stigma and subsequently create a more welcoming world for those with ASD. Neurodivergence makes navigating the world challenging; we do not want to make life more difficult as a result of our actions. The first step is showing that being different is normal. We are all different, just in different ways.
The more we see women and people of color with autism on the screen will allow us to understand that it is not as clear-cut as we may think. With that, it can also be shown that ASD does not always lead to an inspiring story or to a person with superhuman intelligence. Sometimes, a person with ASD can fit our personal definition of “normal.” One writer with ASD states “the fact is, autism is exponentially more complex and diverse than what we see on-screen.”
More than that, on-screen we don’t see the people with ASD who are nonverbal and unable to take care of themselves. We don’t see the parents of those with ASD grappling with the fact that their child can never be self-sufficient. Their plight is real and worthy of being on the big screen.
The ASD community does not need someone to defend them. They don’t need me to write this post. Instead, they deserve a world in which they can feel safe, loved, and seen. Until a world like that exists, we will demand more.
