Article #3
The Presentation of Asperger’s
Syndrome in Television Dramas: What
can be done to Improve the Scope of
Representation?
The Presentation of
Asperger’s Syndrome
in Television Dramas:
What can be done to
Improve the Scope of
Representation?
Author
Abstract
Asperger’s Syndrome - a high-functioning form of Autism
Spectrum Condition - is commonly used in television to provide
an ‘alternative’ personality type with whom other characters
can interact. Despite this, many viewers diagnosed with
Asperger’s Syndrome continue to feel under-represented and
negatively stereotyped by the media. This article examines the
characters of Max Braverman in NBC’s Parenthood and Karla
Bentham in BBC drama Waterloo Road, analysing the negative
impact media stereotypes can have on the lives of those
with Autism Spectrum Conditions and seeking to find ways
in which the autistic community could be better represented
by television dramas. Ultimately, it concludes by arguing that
more positive representation can be achieved through a focus
on the experiences of the autistic individual themselves, as
well as through acknowledgement of the differences in the
behaviours and personalities of all individuals on the Autistic
Spectrum. Autistic individuals are as unique as everybody else,
and by moving from a focus on the condition to a focus on the
human being, we can use popular media to build a much more
representative and inclusive society.
Author: Shaina Paggett
Keywords: Asperger’s
Syndrome, Autism,
Television,
Representation,
Neurodiversity
Key Phrases: Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Television,
Representation, Neurodiversity
Introduction
For many years, television executives have used high-functioning
Autism Spectrum Disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome
to provide an alternative personality type with whom other
characters can interact. Often, these characters are immediately
recognisable as different, and share common traits which
remind the viewer of their differences every time they are
on screen. Though it may initially seem that these kinds of
representations are beneficial to the autistic community due
to raising awareness of the condition, when one considers the
nature of these portrayals, another picture begins to emerge.
Though the potential these television programmes have to make
a positive impact is great, it is hindered by repetitive portrayals
of the condition which often focus on the inability of the autistic
individual to assimilate into society. With a focus on NBC drama
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