#Autistic Representation

[do-u-know-this-autisticcharacter]

Do You Know This (Non-canon) Autistic Character?

Evidence below the cut!

He’s unintentionally insensitive/blunt, has poor social skills, and has low empathy. He also only wears turtlenecks (which could be a sensory issue), and has a Special Interest in the paranormal.

[soullessjack]

not only should any autistic character who’s ever been infantilized by their fanbase kill and maim more people, but they should also fuck as nasty as possible too. as a treat

[azuremist]

Okay, the fact that autism week / autism acceptance month has BARELY started, and we have not one, but TWO canonically autistic characters calling themselves autistic on-screen???? THIS IS SO FUCKING AWESOME LIKE????

[spherarium]

You can ask for more diverse autistic representation in media and criticize the current without making fun of the "stereotypical" traits autistic characters show because, you know, many of us do have these traits. And we're not faking it, and we are not stereotypes, and our traits and interest are not something to be ashamed of.

[bamboozledcorvid]

Quinni is amazing autistic representation and I love her! I’ve also loved her friendships with Cash in the new season.

I think Cash could be autistic I think he shows a few symptoms and could definitely be undiagnosed due to his unideal childhood and because he masks it well.

Gimme Autistic Lesbian Quinni and Autistic Asexual Cash being best friends

[faebobaggins]

this representation is all i ever dreamed of just look at them!!

[defectivegembrain]

Okay no look Abed is not just autistic, he definitely has comorbid mental health issues. I mean he is canonically described as having psychotic breaks, we see several of these, and also he has serious abandonment issues and goes to extreme lengths analysing and worrying about relationships. That stuff definitely overlaps and connects with autism but it isn't explained by that alone. Also you could reasonably argue for a learning disability like dyscalculia. And you know what, it's good representation that not every symptom he shows can be explained by autism. Most autistics have something else on top. Especially considering the increased social rejection and mistreatment. It feels very real, and I don't think it's fair to reduce it to just autism. From personal experience, when people try to do that in real life, it means possible strategies and solutions get ignored, and you get convinced every part of your suffering is just an intrinsic part of who you are. That you're destined to be this anxious, this stressed, this traumatised forever. And I know saying it about a fictional character doesn't actually do the same to anyone, but like. It's just not accurate, and it feeds into something that does hurt real people.

[awetistic-things]

this one scene set autistic people back thirty years

[softsyoungk]

@ autistic folks!!! You need to watch "A Kind Of Spark". It's a new series about two autistic sisters and if witches are one of your hyperfixation/special interest, then this show is for you!!! The actresses are all autistic and it's just wholesome to see such an accurate autistic representation 🤍 Keedie, Nina and Addie are everything to me, I literally cried watching every episode. The portrayal of autistic women made by autistic women is so important I cannot put into words how much this means to autistic youth. I wish I would've had this representation when I was an undiagnosed autistic teen 🫶🏻 it would have helped me so much but even now, I felt like my inner child was healing. So yeah, WATCH A KIND OF SPARK !!! ✨️✨️

Also, I truly believe that witches were autistic women

[do-u-know-this-autisticcharacter]

Do You Know This (Non-canon) Autistic Character?

Evidence below the cut!

he has a long-term fixation on the tv show cheers, in ‘simon and marcy’ he uses the theme song to help ground himself. he seems to find comfort in the show *because* of its mundanity, which helps him cope with the sudden changes that have been thrust upon him. adding onto this, he’s shown to demonstrate routine behavior in fionna and cake via listening to the theme song while he’s getting ready in the morning. he also tends to go on tangents -usually about archaeology which could also be read as a special interest- seemingly without registering whether anyone around him is actually listening. also disregarding the mushroom war and the crown, i’d say the struggle to communicate on both ends was one of the biggest cracks in his and betty’s relationship. canon focuses more on the communication deficits on his end, those being that he didn’t seem to discern that betty was putting her life on hold for his sake (episodes 9 and 10 of fionna and cake sort of paint him as being at fault for that which i disagree with because it just read like nonverbal social cues going over his head to me but whatever) i also strongly believe that betty is neurodivergent in some way as well but that’s a whole other can of worms

[fatliberation]

THE FLEABAG TEAM MADE A NEW SHOW ABOUT A FEMALE PALEONTOLOGIST AND SHE’S FAT AND CANONICALLY AUTISTIC 🗣️

[soullessjack]

love it when the autistic experience of not fully belonging anywhere and always being on the fringes of whatever community you find yourself in. of masking to belong even slightly and still knowing that you don’t really Belong and that the people you surround yourself with Don’t Really Care about you and being the butt of a joke you don’t understand and being in your own little bubble, not as a safe space but as a result of being isolated from everyone else because no matter where you are you are autistic and you just can’t belong, is replicated in fandom spaces. in spaces for things you love and enjoy. love that so much

[fruitypurpledragon]

Anythimg bad that happens to Harriet Manners is literally her being bullied or having no media training she can do no wrong.

[cripplecharacters]

Feel free not to answer this question as it's more a research-type question, I'm just not sure how to go about finding what I need: do you happen to know any fiction books with portrayals of medium to high support autistic people that are considered realistic and positive? All I can find is rep of low support autistic ppl (unless it's in semi-educational children's books) and it's making it harder to figure out how to write medium to high support autistic ppl myself.

Hello!

When I was diagnosed, it was before the levels were used (Or at least before they were used where I lived). I suspect that I would be considered 'level one autistic' today but would likely have been 'level two', bridging into 'level three' as a child. This is all just to explain my perspective with this.

That being said, here are some of my recommendations:

A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern

I just finished this book earlier today and while it isn't specifically about autistic characters, it does feature several autistic characters with high support needs as well as other disabled characters. The book is written from the perspective of two characters, one of which is developmentally disabled (Belinda). Although her disability is never specified, I do see a lot of autistic traits in Belinda. The premise of this book is a bit heavy. It's about two characters (Who are not disabled) who end up volunteering at a centre for adults with developmental disabilities. One of the things I appreciated about this book was how well rounded the characters are. Each of them has their own stories, interests, and ideas. I also like how it discussed sex and relationships in the context of people with developmental disabilities. Something to note is that this does have some sensitive topics such as ableism, sexual assault, and bullying. It is also written by a parent of an autistic child but, as far as I'm aware, the author herself is abled. I did have some conflicted feelings about specific parts of it but I'll leave that for you to make your own decisions about. Target Audience: Young Adult

How to Speak Dolphin by Ginny Rorby

I also read this book recently and I personally really disliked it. There were several scenes that made me feel very gross and I found that the autistic character was dehumanized very often. One line that stuck with me was another character about a blind character, essentially saying, "I thought she was going to drown herself. If I was blind, that's what I would do." Although the character does get to know the blind character and changes her mind, it really felt awful to read and seemed so unnecessary -- especially given the target audience. The way it talks about blindness in general bugs me. That being said, I have seen several autistic people recommending the book (Which was why I read it in the first place) so I'll include it here anyways since my opinion seems to be in the minority around this book. Target Audience: Elementary/Middle Schoolers This is a brief review from another autistic person. [Link]

Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos

This book centers around Nova, a young autistic girl with high support needs. Nova is a foster child who is missing her older sister and the story is told through a mix of narrative, letters to Nova's sister, and flashbacks. It's been a while since I've read this book but I remember really enjoying it (And maybe crying a little bit too). The author is autistic herself and also consulted many other autistic people with a variety of experiences, which I appreciated. Target Audience: Middle Schoolers This is a more in-depth review on the book from a reader who (I believe) is also autistic. [Link]

These are also a couple books that I've seen recommended but can't personally recommend as I haven't read them myself yet:

Real by Carol Cujec

Remember Dippy by Shirley Reva Vernick

I know it's not very much but hopefully it's enough to get you started! If anyone has any recommendations for anon, feel free to mention them in the notes.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[stfuspider]

quinni during the election was sooo funny. she was so amazing she ended flop darren and flop sasha and flop spider.