Representation Matters

Responding to Autistics in Popular Visual Culture

Authors

• Laura Hetrick University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54916/rae.161985

Keywords:

Autistic representation in media, Affirmative model of disability, Neurodiversity and ableism

Abstract

This article critically examines television portrayals of autistic characters in Atypical, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, The Good Doctor, Community, and Sesame Street through qualitative content analysis informed by the affirmative model of disability and critical disability studies. It interrogates stereotypes such as the savant trope, explores authentic casting debates, and considers cultural and pedagogical implications for art education. Drawing on scholarship and lived experience as an autistic educator, the study argues that media representations shape public and educational perceptions, advocating for inclusive practices that affirm neurodivergent identities and dismantle ableism in visual culture and classrooms.