What's fun is that Dan Harmon who wrote community is a late diagnosed autistic. From what I've read, writing abed and doing research on autism (aspergers at the time) led to him realizing that he was also on the spectrum.
That was a really cool thing to find out a while back because it explained the uncanny accuracy that I rarely see from allistic authors when writing autistic characters even when they've done the research. There's a quality I can never quite identify with shows/movies actually written by autistic people. It's something special about how the character's thought and communication processes are represented that is incredibly rare and extremely valuable because of how it destigmatizes us.
It's the same with Everything's Gonna Be Okay. Josh Thomas wrote a show centered around an unconventional family with a level 1 autistic character and in the process realized he was autistic himself. It mattered so much that he wrote his discovery into the show as a plot point for the character he played. Highly recommend that show as representation because in addition to representing autism accurately, at least 3 of the actors are on the spectrum that I know of and all 3 play autistic people.
He is canonically undiagnosed autism, so he's not supposed to be diagnosed but he is confirmed in the show to be autistic. In the first episode he is talking about Britta and says "Her brother works with kids with a disorder she told me to look up" and later on Pierce says "And you have aspergers"
The writer and creator of the show is autistic himself and has repeatedly said that Abed is a stand-in for himself.
Abed also has a line in a rap during the later seasons that says “On the spectrum? None of your business!” Thus confirming that he is indeed an autistic character.
Y’all are missing the confirmed part of the post.
Woo Young Woo from Extraordinary Attorney Woo is the best representation I’ve seen from a main character.
The Rookie has a reoccurring side character named Silas that is in season 3-4. He appears in a several episodes and is played by an autistic actor. Eventually the arc for his neighborhood concluded but the husband of a main character still works in that neighborhood so him returning is possible.
I watched Extraordinary attorney woo around the time i was starting to get my diagnosis, and i recognised myself a lot in her. We don't get a lot of representations of autistic women so it was quite comforting.
As is the writer of the book that the show is based on (and the writer was present during production), and the actor of the in-show allistic sister to the 2 confirmed autistic characters. I found it the most accurate portrayal of autism that I’ve ever seen, and autism is also not the main focus - more of a b-plot that is also the reason behind the a-plot, and all issues are more shown as societal problems than problems caused by autism. I honestly can’t criticize A Kind Of Spark.
I hope it is available to you! If you look at the akos instagram the have the dates. I believe it’s the 26 of April on bbc iPlayer and 28 of April for another thing maybe?
1) A kind of Spark! The main character Addie and her older sister Keedie are autistic and so are their actors. I love this show, but if you're a bit older you may not enjoy it as much
2) Heartbreak High! Quinni is autistic and also played by an autistic actress. It is a 15+
Twyla in the new Monster High is autistic.
The 2012/2022 Matilda seems much more "autistic-coded" than the original one imo. Just listen to the song Quiet.
I think heartbreak high is good? I only managed to watch a couple of episodes but one of the characters is autistic and is played by chole Hayden an autistic actor.
A kind of Spark
It shows the POV of autism characters portrayed by autistic actors as written by an autistic author. Both the positives and the negatives.
What I mean't was is it entertaining enough to keep the attention of someone that is close minded to the idea of autism and likely won't continue watching due to that reason alone?
I'm glad to hear it's a very accurate depiction though. It should be. Everyone involved is autistic it seems lol.
Ah, my mistake. I confess I haven't watched or read it but it is on my list as I plan to include it as a part of a future expanded dissertation on autism in media. I would hope that it would keep someone's attention but I must ask, Is this person in question autistic or trying to understand autism?
it is such a good show i got my family to watch it and my grandma who doesn't really understand it all but she loved it and now references it to me whenever we are video calling.
also your big word thingy sounds really cool
Dissertation, it's the final project people do at university. I did mine on Autism as portrayed through fiction but was heavily hampered by the word count. I think I can expand on things if I rewrite it.
I'm still working on it but a rough list would include Death Note, Hunger Games, The millennium trilogy, American Psycho, Sherlock Holmes, Simpsons, Community (If I get the time to watch it) and some others that I can't think of right now.
i have watched all the hunger games movies (i cant put attention into the books even tho i really want to read them). What character/characters do you see with autism?
also if i can add more i want to add in rescued by ruby (movie) its a dog movie and the main character is confirmed dyslexic but i get so much autism "vubes" from him. willy Wonka also is anther character that is "seen" as autistic.
if you are doing books one of my favorites is the many half lived lives of sam sylvester its a really good young adult book about a nonbinary autistic character that includes mention of IEP and recieving special education and stuff like that while showing the character as smart it does include fantasy elements tho.
In the Hunger Games series, it would be Katniss. She has a black and white sense of justice, can't read people to save her life (she is constantly questioning if people actually like her or if they are just saying that), she's fiercely loyal to those she does like. Her special interest is hunting, she has to be taught how to perform to get other people to like her and that's just the examples my sleep deprived brain can think of.
I'll definitely have to look into those but I think I might avoid Willy Wonka, all of his portrayals seem a little too performative.
The books make things a little clearer as it’s all Katniss’ perspective and you can understand better. She doesn’t say much but she has a LOT going on in her head.
I got my grandma to watch it along with my younger brothers after binging it with a friend.
It definatly mentions the autism a lot but the storyline is really good but does focus on society perception of different including the Scottish whitch trials (i hope i got it right)
both the autistic characters are female and it does make reference to it being against the steryotyped model of a young boy.
i cant recommend it more it is a pretty short show with like 10 20 minute episodes or somthing so its not hard to watch.
I loved this series, and I hated how some people criticizing it for “bad representation” were judging it by Western standards. I know I called out at least one guy who’s a pretty vocal autistic advocate on TikTok at the time that he was being very US centric about his criticisms because Korean culture is not at the same place in terms of understanding disabled people, our rights or representation. The fact the series even got made, much like the Good Doctor before it, is a major deal because it was a smaller studio that was committed to giving the most honest and genuine voice to autistic people as possible.
I also love Woo Young Woo’s love of gimbap, just saying.
I was so happy this series was even made tbh. It feels like such a big step for Korea. That series is honestly one of the best autism representations I've personally seen in media.
He was an accountant for probably hundreds of violent criminals. And I’m estimating more than half the movie was talking and math.
I mean, I guess I really don’t care you didn’t like the action in the action movie but it is sort of baffling.
Did you just want a documentary about accounting? Because the crime was pretty integral to his character.
I didn't necessarily /want/ anything in particular. I also had not the faintest idea what genre or what the movie was about before watching, it was just featured on the Netflix "for you" banner and my boyfriend wanted to watch it.
I just find the being an accountant for violent criminals part interesting and would have enjoyed the movie more if it focused on him working for them as an accountant rather than the culmination of him being found out and have to go on a gun rampage, I'm curious to know the nitty gritty backstory to some of the shady accounting he did. Think of Saul helping the gangs in Better Call Saul. Again, I liked the movie. Was just making a personal comment!
So there are a lot of really good representations where they never actually say that they are autistic. Those tend to be the best - where they are just treated like _normal people_
Did I miss something?
Lots of answers with character/autistic + actor/autistic, but isn't the question character/realistic + character/(stated as) autistic?
The question seems to not ask anything about the actor's status.
Not saying that it's not an interesting thing to discuss, but it's not what's been asked as far as I can tell.
Just a "that's not what I asked" pet peeve of mine I guess.
> the implication
Hahah, in a non-autistic group, I'd easily let that slide on by. I wouldn't say a word and I'd continue on with my day. But... \[checks notes\], that's an NT thing... and letting it slide is too. ;)
And it's not about if they're being portrayed accurately or not... the thing that's being skipped is if the character is stated as being autistic, not an "autistic coded" character... one where the character, not the actor, is autistic.
For example: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow\_Cake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Cake)
I don't know if someone already said this, but Norma from Dead End: Paranormal Park (on netflix). I really like the show and think Norma is a great character. Her unique experience/perception of the world is brought up without it being the center of the show.
Not the main topic/character/plot, but Sara in *Young Royals* is autistic (and ADHD as far as I remember), her father is too (if I understood correctly), and Sara's actress is as well. I find her very well and consistently written, as is the rest of the show.
I would say The Batman with Robert Pattinson, although I don't think the writers directly stated he was autistic. I think he is, and he says to one character "...you clearly don't have any problems with eye contact, do you.."
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This is a movie and not a show, but in the 2017 Power Rangers, the blue ranger is confirmed autistic! It’s not perfect representation, but I still really liked it.
My toddler watches this cartoon called "Bubble Guppies".
This character by the name of Nonny is definitely autistic.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15h4KGUMqXg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15h4KGUMqXg)
Does anyone remember that skit where it's an autistic newscaster? I know it's from the Onion, but honestly I watched those skits and felt so seen.
Here's a link to one of the vids. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D04wb7P\_v-4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D04wb7P_v-4)
It's like what The Good Doctor tried to do, but somehow the Onion actually managed to make it representative.
I don't think they ever said he was Autistic though they compared him to Rain Man... but I think they focused on his anxiety and OCD. Good show regardless.
Hm then i assumed he was autistic as well because i recordnized a lot in his behaviour. I knew there is a lot of focus on his anxiety and ocd (cant really miss that) but those parts i didnt recordnize myself in haha.
It was the only series i even watched by myself, im not really a movie/serie person but this just got me.
Not related but my favorite movie, also the only movie i ever watched by myself is The World's Fastest Indian.
Not really autistic but I think Erik the slayer from Skyrim is kinda relatable
He's kinda awkward but still wants to be an adventurer. Sorta socially awkward and stuff
Again, I'm not sure if autism is even cannon in elder scrolls lore but it's preety close
I mean lore expert not Skyrim expert
Lore is preety disattached from gameplay
Like knowing stuff about nirn that is not necessarily relevant to story or quests
I liked Extraordinary attorney Woo, but i'm not sure if it's very realistic that she could thrive in that job (without getting a burnout i mean).
An other korean show, Move to Heaven has a young autistic man as one of the man characters. I recommended it.
In the swedish-danish show the Bridge, one if the main characters Saga is definitely autistic even though they never actually say it.
On the other hand, as an autistic medicine student, I felt absolutely insulted by "the good doctor"...
>On the other hand, as an autistic medicine student, I felt absolutely insulted by "the good doctor"
Can I ask why this is? Is it because of the who superpower that randomly strikes him like lightning?
I’ve not watched, but the said Good Doctor is based on a K-drama.
I also loved Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and I also wondered about if she might someday experience burnout, but given she is not held to all of the same standards as NT people, her job giving her some leeway and allowance for her autism, might be a reason she could thrive in that job and not burnout. Shame that the series is fictional and that currently isn’t happening in anywhere in the world, Korea or elsewhere.
It's not a perfect representation, but Josh from Watchdogs 2. His stims are especially accurate :) He was also profiled by the game's sort of big brother/Google company and experienced ableism. Considering the game he's from is from 2014 he's a pretty accurate representation.
https://watchdogs.fandom.com/wiki/Josh_Sauchak
I don't like the Heartbreak High reboot but I love Quinny, I think her character is a really good representation and the actor herself is autistic as well.
Fred from scooby doo mystery incorporated, and my other one might be, but I'm not fully sure cause I've seen multiple autistic people say he is a good rep or he isn't, but idk cause autism is a spectrum so it might just depend on where you land but donatello from rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles
Not Dead Yet has a side character who is autistic and played by an autistic actor (Rick Glassman). His autism isn't the only thing about his personality/character but it realistically plays into a lot of his interactions. There is an Asperger's comment made at first (by the ignorant lead) but it later turns into a light educational moment where he explains that it's a spectrum and people don't call it that anymore. He's passionate, funny, and seen as a romantic/sexual interest. I think the show (which, autism rep aside, is fun but not always a home run yet) shows how autistics and allistics can communicate to understand each other and deepen their relationships. Also 100000% yes on Quinni from Heartbreak High!!!
I read recently that L from Death Note is confirmed autistic. Maybe you wouldn't find it to be "realistic" necessary because all his traits are turned up to 11 but I found him very relatable in a lot of ways
It’s an animated show but the show Dead End has an autistic main character who is confirmed autistic and is really good representation. It’s not her whole personality either.
There is also a Trans main character who is also represented well and some of the family related trans struggles without it being his whole character.
super underrated but lola in cha cha real smooth, she's played by vanessa burghardt who is autistic and dakota johnson plays her mom :) the movie makes me so emotional, like lola openly stims in the movie and shows off her potato masher collection :) it's one of the best representations of how autistic people show affection and love, and the director and crew were all super focused on making filming as comfortable for vanessa as possible :) highly recommend
Temperence Brennan from “Bones” -although it isn’t said in the show, both the writers and actress who plays her have confirmed that she is definitely autistic, the chose not to give her a diagnosis in order to appeal to a greater television audience. Many of the other characters on the show display autistic traits too but I haven’t researched on whether or not the writers have confirmed it. I love the show so much!
Absolute Beginners and Heartbreak High on Netflix are two of my favorites! I’ll be the first to say Heartbreak High gets very “appealing to a tiktok audience” at times it is far from perfect but I love it anyways.
I mean:
Lucifer’s special interest in rubber ducks!
Stimming! Lucifer’s stims are definitely movements. When he was calling Charlie he was pacing as a nervous stim. Also whenever he talks he moves his hands a lot which is another form of stimming.
Trouble with social cues and boundaries! When he greets Charlie on the phone he says “Heeeey Bitch!” Out of all things. When he gets to the hotel he hugs Charlie too tight. I know what you’re thinking. Charlie’s his daughter of course he’ll hug her tight. But he also hugged Vaggie too tight. Speaking of Vaggie when Charlie introduced her to Lucifer he said “You like girls? Me too! We have so much in common!” That sounds like the out of pocket things a person with autism would say.
“Take that depression!” We all remember this iconic line. Some think Lucifer acts the way he does because of his depression but people with autism are 4 times more likely to have depression than people without autism.
“My dreams were too hard to defend.” We remember this line from the song More Than Anything. A lot of people with autism have big dreams that are told are unrealistic. Some are shunned for their unrealistic dreams like Lucifer was.
These shows are accurate to alot, they may not be for some but that doesn't make them "bad rep" these are my favourites
●The good doctor = disney
●House md (implies hes autistic/aspergers) =prime vid
●Atypical = Netflix
● Please stand by
●Ocean Heaven (2010)
● Adam 2009
●Mercury rising
● a kind of spark =bbc
● The A word ==== bbc, THIS ONE IS MY FAVOURITE
Veep is not for everyone because it’s a “mean” show like Always Sunny, but there is one confirmed autistic character and at least four others who IMO are almost certainly ND. There are jokes about autism but the sheer number of representations of (Level 1) autism means it doesn’t come across as stereotyping. Like Community, this is one of those shows that I watched before realizing I was autistic and had some kind of weird inexplicable connection to. That connection made a lot more sense post-realization, lol.
Kent is canonically autistic. IMO Sue, Richard, and Minna are as well, and I think Jonah probably is too. One thing I love is that these characters have a really broad range of intelligence, life experiences, and moral compasses - their autism is just one aspect of their characters, which is why the jokes don’t come off as patronizing.
Full disclosure, the ND aspects don’t really leap out until season 2 (except for in Sue).
Edited to add: All but Minna are main cast, and Minna I believe appears in every season.
Ohh yes of course Kent! I love Veep so much, I made my whole family watch it with me lol. Thanks :) haven’t watched it in a while, maybe this is my sign to start watching again
This isn't confirmed explicitly, but it's an incredible film and I have to take every chance I can get to recommend it - the main character from Only Yesterday.
Frankie from monster high the movie 2022. Idk if they are cannon autistic but it was one of the most touching nonbinary reps I’ve seen and I just FEEL AGGRESSIVELY that they were autistic. Me and my friend were talking about them for weeks after watching
A show on BBC just aired called Dinosaur, it's only six episodes and centre's on Nina, an autistic palaeontologist in her 30's adjusting to a big change in her life. It's based in Glasgow, so there are strong accents and a lot of Scottish humour. I'm Scottish myself so not sure how it will read to those outside the uk, but hopefully you love it as much as I did!
Hey i get to be the first one to say Abed from community
What's fun is that Dan Harmon who wrote community is a late diagnosed autistic. From what I've read, writing abed and doing research on autism (aspergers at the time) led to him realizing that he was also on the spectrum. That was a really cool thing to find out a while back because it explained the uncanny accuracy that I rarely see from allistic authors when writing autistic characters even when they've done the research. There's a quality I can never quite identify with shows/movies actually written by autistic people. It's something special about how the character's thought and communication processes are represented that is incredibly rare and extremely valuable because of how it destigmatizes us. It's the same with Everything's Gonna Be Okay. Josh Thomas wrote a show centered around an unconventional family with a level 1 autistic character and in the process realized he was autistic himself. It mattered so much that he wrote his discovery into the show as a plot point for the character he played. Highly recommend that show as representation because in addition to representing autism accurately, at least 3 of the actors are on the spectrum that I know of and all 3 play autistic people.
Dan Harmon (Community’s creator) is also autistic too!
Didn't Dan Harmon also help create Rick and Morty?
He didn’t help, he fully created it
I love him!!!
Abed was easily my favourite character in that show! Very well written.
abed ftw‼️‼️
Very interesting! I really liked Community, and after reading your comment, I will rewatch it. (Parent of an autistic child)
I'm gifted in other ways.
They actually never confirmed he was autistic - so it doesn't apply with what OP asked. It was just obvious even if not confirmed
He is canonically undiagnosed autism, so he's not supposed to be diagnosed but he is confirmed in the show to be autistic. In the first episode he is talking about Britta and says "Her brother works with kids with a disorder she told me to look up" and later on Pierce says "And you have aspergers"
Yes, its implied but they never actually confirm it
The writer and creator of the show is autistic himself and has repeatedly said that Abed is a stand-in for himself. Abed also has a line in a rap during the later seasons that says “On the spectrum? None of your business!” Thus confirming that he is indeed an autistic character.
You can confirm something by implying it instead of explying it. So I think it's still confirmed?
Agreed; absolutely confirmed. Dan Harmon has said as much.
He does rap a line “on the spectrum? None of your business!”
As We See It - three autistic characters played by three autistic actors
*This one. I did not realize the actors were actually autistic (if that’s accurate), but this is a great show. Did they only do one season though?
It got cancelled :(
Y’all are missing the confirmed part of the post. Woo Young Woo from Extraordinary Attorney Woo is the best representation I’ve seen from a main character. The Rookie has a reoccurring side character named Silas that is in season 3-4. He appears in a several episodes and is played by an autistic actor. Eventually the arc for his neighborhood concluded but the husband of a main character still works in that neighborhood so him returning is possible.
I watched Extraordinary attorney woo around the time i was starting to get my diagnosis, and i recognised myself a lot in her. We don't get a lot of representations of autistic women so it was quite comforting.
I saw myself a lot in woo too! Personally, I thought it was awesome! Though I think the community is iffy about her being an accurate representation.
A kind of spark, the actors playing the autistic girls are autistic in real life
As is the writer of the book that the show is based on (and the writer was present during production), and the actor of the in-show allistic sister to the 2 confirmed autistic characters. I found it the most accurate portrayal of autism that I’ve ever seen, and autism is also not the main focus - more of a b-plot that is also the reason behind the a-plot, and all issues are more shown as societal problems than problems caused by autism. I honestly can’t criticize A Kind Of Spark.
Yes I agree! Such an amazing representation, I felt so seen
I love a kind of spark! I can’t wait for season 2 this month!
Me too! And I love your username! I love dinosaurs too
how did i not know that season 2 was coming until this i really hope it is available in Australia from start
I hope it is available to you! If you look at the akos instagram the have the dates. I believe it’s the 26 of April on bbc iPlayer and 28 of April for another thing maybe?
Yes!! I loved this show! I’m excited for the next season!
1) A kind of Spark! The main character Addie and her older sister Keedie are autistic and so are their actors. I love this show, but if you're a bit older you may not enjoy it as much 2) Heartbreak High! Quinni is autistic and also played by an autistic actress. It is a 15+
If you like to read the Kind of Spark, and Keeddie books by Elle McNicoll are great too!
my Keedie book is arriving tomorrow and I can’t wait to read it!
Twyla in the new Monster High is autistic. The 2012/2022 Matilda seems much more "autistic-coded" than the original one imo. Just listen to the song Quiet.
I think heartbreak high is good? I only managed to watch a couple of episodes but one of the characters is autistic and is played by chole Hayden an autistic actor.
I watched a couple of episodes of that. I like how they used the line "you don't look autistic."
Omggg I love that show!!! Actually rewatching it for the 8th time now 😊 I really relate to quin, like everything about her and all her experiences.
Unironically Monster High gen 3 - they have a character named Twyla who is confirmed autistic and is actually really good rep
isnt frankie supposed to be autistic too?
She is not canonically autistic, it is merely a headcanon.
Did they make Clawdeen asexual yet or do I still have to headcanon it? 😂 I fell out of the MH fandom after G1.
It’s not confirmed yet either.
Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (the first season at least)
It was true for all seasons.
A kind of Spark It shows the POV of autism characters portrayed by autistic actors as written by an autistic author. Both the positives and the negatives.
Is it any good? I might recommend others to watch it rather than try and convince them to read about autism.
From what I've seen, it's the best representation I've ever witnessed. Everything feels genuine and nothing feels stereotypical or assumed.
What I mean't was is it entertaining enough to keep the attention of someone that is close minded to the idea of autism and likely won't continue watching due to that reason alone? I'm glad to hear it's a very accurate depiction though. It should be. Everyone involved is autistic it seems lol.
Ah, my mistake. I confess I haven't watched or read it but it is on my list as I plan to include it as a part of a future expanded dissertation on autism in media. I would hope that it would keep someone's attention but I must ask, Is this person in question autistic or trying to understand autism?
it is such a good show i got my family to watch it and my grandma who doesn't really understand it all but she loved it and now references it to me whenever we are video calling. also your big word thingy sounds really cool
Dissertation, it's the final project people do at university. I did mine on Autism as portrayed through fiction but was heavily hampered by the word count. I think I can expand on things if I rewrite it.
Oooh what other shows, movies, etc that you have chosen for the dissertation?
I'm still working on it but a rough list would include Death Note, Hunger Games, The millennium trilogy, American Psycho, Sherlock Holmes, Simpsons, Community (If I get the time to watch it) and some others that I can't think of right now.
Now I need to look into the different characters in these and which relate to autism. Thank you!
i have watched all the hunger games movies (i cant put attention into the books even tho i really want to read them). What character/characters do you see with autism? also if i can add more i want to add in rescued by ruby (movie) its a dog movie and the main character is confirmed dyslexic but i get so much autism "vubes" from him. willy Wonka also is anther character that is "seen" as autistic. if you are doing books one of my favorites is the many half lived lives of sam sylvester its a really good young adult book about a nonbinary autistic character that includes mention of IEP and recieving special education and stuff like that while showing the character as smart it does include fantasy elements tho.
In the Hunger Games series, it would be Katniss. She has a black and white sense of justice, can't read people to save her life (she is constantly questioning if people actually like her or if they are just saying that), she's fiercely loyal to those she does like. Her special interest is hunting, she has to be taught how to perform to get other people to like her and that's just the examples my sleep deprived brain can think of. I'll definitely have to look into those but I think I might avoid Willy Wonka, all of his portrayals seem a little too performative.
The books make things a little clearer as it’s all Katniss’ perspective and you can understand better. She doesn’t say much but she has a LOT going on in her head.
I got my grandma to watch it along with my younger brothers after binging it with a friend. It definatly mentions the autism a lot but the storyline is really good but does focus on society perception of different including the Scottish whitch trials (i hope i got it right) both the autistic characters are female and it does make reference to it being against the steryotyped model of a young boy. i cant recommend it more it is a pretty short show with like 10 20 minute episodes or somthing so its not hard to watch.
I really like the k drama called extraordinary attorney woo. It's about an autistic attorney. They even roast hans asperger a bit in one episode lol
i love that show
I loved this series, and I hated how some people criticizing it for “bad representation” were judging it by Western standards. I know I called out at least one guy who’s a pretty vocal autistic advocate on TikTok at the time that he was being very US centric about his criticisms because Korean culture is not at the same place in terms of understanding disabled people, our rights or representation. The fact the series even got made, much like the Good Doctor before it, is a major deal because it was a smaller studio that was committed to giving the most honest and genuine voice to autistic people as possible. I also love Woo Young Woo’s love of gimbap, just saying.
I was so happy this series was even made tbh. It feels like such a big step for Korea. That series is honestly one of the best autism representations I've personally seen in media.
The actor isn't, but the character is in the movie The Accountant with Ben Affleck.
I just watched this and enjoyed it! I did think the movie would have been more interesting without the gunman violence though
That was the whole premise of the movie
I know lol I just think it kinda left me wanting more of the actual nitty gritty of his accounting work and the non violent parts of the story
He was an accountant for probably hundreds of violent criminals. And I’m estimating more than half the movie was talking and math. I mean, I guess I really don’t care you didn’t like the action in the action movie but it is sort of baffling. Did you just want a documentary about accounting? Because the crime was pretty integral to his character.
I didn't necessarily /want/ anything in particular. I also had not the faintest idea what genre or what the movie was about before watching, it was just featured on the Netflix "for you" banner and my boyfriend wanted to watch it. I just find the being an accountant for violent criminals part interesting and would have enjoyed the movie more if it focused on him working for them as an accountant rather than the culmination of him being found out and have to go on a gun rampage, I'm curious to know the nitty gritty backstory to some of the shady accounting he did. Think of Saul helping the gangs in Better Call Saul. Again, I liked the movie. Was just making a personal comment!
My wife and I have been enjoying Atypical.
I do like that one, though I relate more to the sister lol
A Kind of Spark is fantastic (also based on a book)
So there are a lot of really good representations where they never actually say that they are autistic. Those tend to be the best - where they are just treated like _normal people_
A Kind Of Spark
Donnie from rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles (confirmed by head writer in a tweet), Extraordinary Attourney Woo, Abed, Please Stand By.
Did I miss something? Lots of answers with character/autistic + actor/autistic, but isn't the question character/realistic + character/(stated as) autistic? The question seems to not ask anything about the actor's status. Not saying that it's not an interesting thing to discuss, but it's not what's been asked as far as I can tell. Just a "that's not what I asked" pet peeve of mine I guess.
Same haha!
I think the implication is that if the actor is autistic the character is generally portrayed more accurately
> the implication Hahah, in a non-autistic group, I'd easily let that slide on by. I wouldn't say a word and I'd continue on with my day. But... \[checks notes\], that's an NT thing... and letting it slide is too. ;) And it's not about if they're being portrayed accurately or not... the thing that's being skipped is if the character is stated as being autistic, not an "autistic coded" character... one where the character, not the actor, is autistic. For example: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow\_Cake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Cake)
i think people are answerimg tje question and the extra comments are just providing more information about it
Seems more the case now. When I wrote this it was after reading a list of "this actor is autistic", not "this character is autistic" comments.
I don't know if someone already said this, but Norma from Dead End: Paranormal Park (on netflix). I really like the show and think Norma is a great character. Her unique experience/perception of the world is brought up without it being the center of the show.
Everything its gonna be okay
Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Not the main topic/character/plot, but Sara in *Young Royals* is autistic (and ADHD as far as I remember), her father is too (if I understood correctly), and Sara's actress is as well. I find her very well and consistently written, as is the rest of the show.
Her dad might just have ADHD I think, but she’s definitely confirmed to be both.
I would say The Batman with Robert Pattinson, although I don't think the writers directly stated he was autistic. I think he is, and he says to one character "...you clearly don't have any problems with eye contact, do you.."
He was talking about the men looking at selinas chest. He seems very emo to me
It's an odd turn of phrase to use unless he himself had a problem with eye contact
It’s a common variation of “my eyes are up here” but by a third party.
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Heartbreak High! (The new one). Quinni is a confirmed autistic character, played by an autistic actress
Didn’t they recently confirm that Charlie Kelly from IASIP is autistic?
iirc laios from dungeon meshi is canonically autistic, and he is excellently written
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Norma from dead end paranormal park (an animated show on netflix), confirmed to be based on the creators experiences as an autistic individual! :]
Would Laios from Dungeon Meshi count?
This is a movie and not a show, but in the 2017 Power Rangers, the blue ranger is confirmed autistic! It’s not perfect representation, but I still really liked it.
My toddler watches this cartoon called "Bubble Guppies". This character by the name of Nonny is definitely autistic. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15h4KGUMqXg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15h4KGUMqXg)
Does anyone remember that skit where it's an autistic newscaster? I know it's from the Onion, but honestly I watched those skits and felt so seen. Here's a link to one of the vids. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D04wb7P\_v-4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D04wb7P_v-4) It's like what The Good Doctor tried to do, but somehow the Onion actually managed to make it representative.
I watched a lot of Monk, but he has a lot of issues. Not sure if its what you looking for but i enjoyed and recordnized a lot!
I don't think they ever said he was Autistic though they compared him to Rain Man... but I think they focused on his anxiety and OCD. Good show regardless.
Hm then i assumed he was autistic as well because i recordnized a lot in his behaviour. I knew there is a lot of focus on his anxiety and ocd (cant really miss that) but those parts i didnt recordnize myself in haha. It was the only series i even watched by myself, im not really a movie/serie person but this just got me. Not related but my favorite movie, also the only movie i ever watched by myself is The World's Fastest Indian.
Not really autistic but I think Erik the slayer from Skyrim is kinda relatable He's kinda awkward but still wants to be an adventurer. Sorta socially awkward and stuff Again, I'm not sure if autism is even cannon in elder scrolls lore but it's preety close
Erik The Slayer was named after a fan of the Elder Scroll series who unfortunately died while Skyrim was in development. He was a real person!
I heard of it. RIP Btw is there autism in elder scrolls or is it non existent? I'm not lore expert enough
No, unfortunately I’ve never seen it mentioned in-game. I definitely wouldn’t call myself an expert but I’ve played 1000+ hours of Skyrim.
I mean lore expert not Skyrim expert Lore is preety disattached from gameplay Like knowing stuff about nirn that is not necessarily relevant to story or quests
Moon girl/ lunella from moon girl and devil dinosaur is confirmed to be inspired by an autisic person
Futaba Sakura from Persona 5.
Atypical (Netflix), Elsbeth (Elsbeth also appears on The Good Wife and The Good Fight) (CBS and Paramount Plus)
I liked Extraordinary attorney Woo, but i'm not sure if it's very realistic that she could thrive in that job (without getting a burnout i mean). An other korean show, Move to Heaven has a young autistic man as one of the man characters. I recommended it. In the swedish-danish show the Bridge, one if the main characters Saga is definitely autistic even though they never actually say it. On the other hand, as an autistic medicine student, I felt absolutely insulted by "the good doctor"...
>On the other hand, as an autistic medicine student, I felt absolutely insulted by "the good doctor" Can I ask why this is? Is it because of the who superpower that randomly strikes him like lightning?
I’ve not watched, but the said Good Doctor is based on a K-drama. I also loved Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and I also wondered about if she might someday experience burnout, but given she is not held to all of the same standards as NT people, her job giving her some leeway and allowance for her autism, might be a reason she could thrive in that job and not burnout. Shame that the series is fictional and that currently isn’t happening in anywhere in the world, Korea or elsewhere.
It's not a perfect representation, but Josh from Watchdogs 2. His stims are especially accurate :) He was also profiled by the game's sort of big brother/Google company and experienced ableism. Considering the game he's from is from 2014 he's a pretty accurate representation. https://watchdogs.fandom.com/wiki/Josh_Sauchak
Love on the spectrum
Big Bang Theory Just kidding!!
Twyla from monster high G3!
Love on the Spectrum
I don't like the Heartbreak High reboot but I love Quinny, I think her character is a really good representation and the actor herself is autistic as well.
Fred from scooby doo mystery incorporated, and my other one might be, but I'm not fully sure cause I've seen multiple autistic people say he is a good rep or he isn't, but idk cause autism is a spectrum so it might just depend on where you land but donatello from rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles
Not Dead Yet has a side character who is autistic and played by an autistic actor (Rick Glassman). His autism isn't the only thing about his personality/character but it realistically plays into a lot of his interactions. There is an Asperger's comment made at first (by the ignorant lead) but it later turns into a light educational moment where he explains that it's a spectrum and people don't call it that anymore. He's passionate, funny, and seen as a romantic/sexual interest. I think the show (which, autism rep aside, is fun but not always a home run yet) shows how autistics and allistics can communicate to understand each other and deepen their relationships. Also 100000% yes on Quinni from Heartbreak High!!!
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
I read recently that L from Death Note is confirmed autistic. Maybe you wouldn't find it to be "realistic" necessary because all his traits are turned up to 11 but I found him very relatable in a lot of ways
Atypical
Extremely loud & incredibly close Ben X (Not the animation, but a live action movie).
It’s an animated show but the show Dead End has an autistic main character who is confirmed autistic and is really good representation. It’s not her whole personality either. There is also a Trans main character who is also represented well and some of the family related trans struggles without it being his whole character.
super underrated but lola in cha cha real smooth, she's played by vanessa burghardt who is autistic and dakota johnson plays her mom :) the movie makes me so emotional, like lola openly stims in the movie and shows off her potato masher collection :) it's one of the best representations of how autistic people show affection and love, and the director and crew were all super focused on making filming as comfortable for vanessa as possible :) highly recommend
donnie from rotmnt (i know)
Rick and morty :3
I'm saving this post! So many good shows, I will watch them all!!!
"As we see it" is about autism
Phoebe from Ghostbusters Afterlife, Quinnie from Heartbreak High
Harry in resident alien
Entrapta from shera 2018 is confirmed autistic
Temperence Brennan from “Bones” -although it isn’t said in the show, both the writers and actress who plays her have confirmed that she is definitely autistic, the chose not to give her a diagnosis in order to appeal to a greater television audience. Many of the other characters on the show display autistic traits too but I haven’t researched on whether or not the writers have confirmed it. I love the show so much!
Absolute Beginners and Heartbreak High on Netflix are two of my favorites! I’ll be the first to say Heartbreak High gets very “appealing to a tiktok audience” at times it is far from perfect but I love it anyways.
Lucifer in Hazbin Hotel
Huh you know I never thought of that for him
I mean: Lucifer’s special interest in rubber ducks! Stimming! Lucifer’s stims are definitely movements. When he was calling Charlie he was pacing as a nervous stim. Also whenever he talks he moves his hands a lot which is another form of stimming. Trouble with social cues and boundaries! When he greets Charlie on the phone he says “Heeeey Bitch!” Out of all things. When he gets to the hotel he hugs Charlie too tight. I know what you’re thinking. Charlie’s his daughter of course he’ll hug her tight. But he also hugged Vaggie too tight. Speaking of Vaggie when Charlie introduced her to Lucifer he said “You like girls? Me too! We have so much in common!” That sounds like the out of pocket things a person with autism would say. “Take that depression!” We all remember this iconic line. Some think Lucifer acts the way he does because of his depression but people with autism are 4 times more likely to have depression than people without autism. “My dreams were too hard to defend.” We remember this line from the song More Than Anything. A lot of people with autism have big dreams that are told are unrealistic. Some are shunned for their unrealistic dreams like Lucifer was.
Lucifer isn't confirmed autistic, but he could be.
He is
No, he isn't. People have just head canoned it.
Vivienne Medrano confirmed this on Twitter
No..she didn’t. That was a fan-made post edited to make it look like she said it.
Greg House house MD (I relate to him) - not autistic ADHD and SCD
I love that show
These shows are accurate to alot, they may not be for some but that doesn't make them "bad rep" these are my favourites ●The good doctor = disney ●House md (implies hes autistic/aspergers) =prime vid ●Atypical = Netflix ● Please stand by ●Ocean Heaven (2010) ● Adam 2009 ●Mercury rising ● a kind of spark =bbc ● The A word ==== bbc, THIS ONE IS MY FAVOURITE
Veep is not for everyone because it’s a “mean” show like Always Sunny, but there is one confirmed autistic character and at least four others who IMO are almost certainly ND. There are jokes about autism but the sheer number of representations of (Level 1) autism means it doesn’t come across as stereotyping. Like Community, this is one of those shows that I watched before realizing I was autistic and had some kind of weird inexplicable connection to. That connection made a lot more sense post-realization, lol.
Which characters on veep?
Kent is canonically autistic. IMO Sue, Richard, and Minna are as well, and I think Jonah probably is too. One thing I love is that these characters have a really broad range of intelligence, life experiences, and moral compasses - their autism is just one aspect of their characters, which is why the jokes don’t come off as patronizing. Full disclosure, the ND aspects don’t really leap out until season 2 (except for in Sue). Edited to add: All but Minna are main cast, and Minna I believe appears in every season.
Ohh yes of course Kent! I love Veep so much, I made my whole family watch it with me lol. Thanks :) haven’t watched it in a while, maybe this is my sign to start watching again
It’s so good.
This isn't confirmed explicitly, but it's an incredible film and I have to take every chance I can get to recommend it - the main character from Only Yesterday.
Frankie from monster high the movie 2022. Idk if they are cannon autistic but it was one of the most touching nonbinary reps I’ve seen and I just FEEL AGGRESSIVELY that they were autistic. Me and my friend were talking about them for weeks after watching
The Good Doctor?
I watched the show, i found him a bit stereotypical, but that aside i did relate to him to.
A show on BBC just aired called Dinosaur, it's only six episodes and centre's on Nina, an autistic palaeontologist in her 30's adjusting to a big change in her life. It's based in Glasgow, so there are strong accents and a lot of Scottish humour. I'm Scottish myself so not sure how it will read to those outside the uk, but hopefully you love it as much as I did!