Is Neurodiversity Accurately Depicted in the Media?
Having accurate and varied representations of different characteristics is essential to creating an inclusive and accepting society.
Being neurotypical myself, the representation of neurodiversity in the media has been so crucial to shaping my understanding of it. It seems to me that the image shown is very limited and does not cover the variety of personalities neurodivergents can have. Neurodiversity is either seen as a disability or as an obscure talent for anything to do with science and mathematics. All of it seems a tiny bit cliché, doesn’t it?
The character of Sam in Atypical is the most recent representation I have seen. If the cliché of the “savant” who is a maths genius has been avoided, this depection is fairly negative. The show highlights the burden he represents for his family and how he lacks autonomy. Sam is not really empathetic and instead a lot of the series focuses on how sex driven he is. In her Autism Tropes in Media video, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard explains that her followers have ranked Atypical the worst representation of autism. The show started in 2017 and even though the main character is autistic, expectations were not necessarily met in terms of accurate and varied depiction.
Another portrayal of autism comes to mind with Rain Man and this image that every autistic person excels in mathematics and that they are always locked up in their room solving equations. Again neurodivergents are way more diverse than that unique idea people are being fed. There is a need more neurodivergents to take part into the creation of those characters to offer a more accurate depiction of what it can be like.
Everything’s Going To Be Okay is a good example of positive representation as one of the main character Matilda offers a less stereotyped autistic depiction. First of all, this is finally a female autistic character. The most common characters with autism in films and series are white, straight, cisgender men which is harmful as it erases the diversity of the autistic community. Second bonus point for this show is that the actress who plays her, Kayla Cromer, is actually on the spectrum herself. That is without a doubt one of the reasons why her portrayal is actually interesting and helpful for the community.
Good news as well in that regard because the production company that gifted us with the show Fleabag is developing a new comedy drama focusing on the character of a young woman who has yet to be diagnosed and how she is navigating her life. They organised a casting in order to find an actress who is on the autistic spectrum to play this character.
The challenges and issues that might come with being neurodiverse should be addressed in the media. Being able to identify with characters or finding answers to some questions neurodiverse people have is lacking in our society. Having the input of neurodivergents is key to doing so in a meaningful and accurate way because currently our world is made and mainly thought for and by neurotypicals.
Being able to relate to other neurodivergents in the media and in fictions is incredibly helpful to figuring out who you are and how to build a fulfilling life for yourself. We can enable the neurodiverse community to start open discussions about the different aspects of their lives by offering realistic and varied depictions of what it is like to be in a relationship when neurodiverse, of what it is like to find a job and what it is like to handle your finances. All these things can seem anecdotal but in reality very daunting and overwhelming. As everyone else, neurodivergents should have access to role models they can look up to to approach the different aspects of their lives.
Most of these situations and the potential challenges that arise with them are rarely, if ever, discussed from the point of view of neurodivergents themselves which is very damaging for the community as well as for neurotypicals who fail to better understand what it might feel like to be neurodiverse.
Are there positive portrayals of neurodiversity in TV shows, film and art? Share with us your favourite characters and how they impacted you !
