FILM
Autistic-Coded Characters: The Good, the Bad and the Annoying
The problems with autistic media representation run deeper than Sheldon Cooper
Long before I knew I was neurodivergent, I looked to my favorite characters to feel less alone. Like me, they were different — a shy, bookish outcast with one or two friends. They were often misunderstood, struggled with romantic relationships, and were usually smart or exceedingly talented at one specific thing.
Nowadays, I know the reason I felt close to these characters was because they were exhibiting autistic traits (albeit stereotypical ones). Their experiences of being misunderstood mirrored my own. Although their autism was never confirmed, it was enough for me to feel represented.
A few characters in contemporary media have been canonically declared autistic, such as Quinni in Heartbreak High and Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor, but mostly, we must contend with characters who are merely coded as autistic. Today, I want to discuss the positive and negative aspects of autistic-coded characters.
What are autistic-coded characters?
For those unfamiliar with “coded characters,” it refers to a character who exhibits similar traits to people belonging to a certain…
