found that the object of a female’s special interest is
far less likely to be considered an unusual interest for
someone of their age and gender, unlike the interests
of males. Though every individual with Autism is
different and so there will be autistic females with
‘unusual’ interests, the inclusion of a female character
with Asperger’s Syndrome provided Waterloo
Road with a valuable opportunity to demonstrate
the nuances of the condition and finally allow a
greater proportion of autistic female viewers to feel
represented on screen. Instead, they have produced
another version of the mathematical genius (Waterloo
Road: Season 3, Episode 1, 2007) with Asperger’s
Syndrome who appeared out-of-place in everyday
society; the only difference being that this time, the
character has a female body. In presenting their only
autistic female character as exhibiting predominantly
male traits, Waterloo Road alienates female viewers
with Asperger’s Syndrome, possibly encouraging
feelings of being out of place both in the neurotypical
world and within their neurodiverse label.
A Danger to Society?
Following my examination of the truthfulness of
the portrayals of Asperger’s Syndrome in these
two television dramas, I wish to demonstrate the
harmful effects that dramatised portrayals can have
on those with a developmental condition. In an
attempt to create engaging drama for their viewers,
television producers can often over-emphasise the
significance of violence for those on the Autistic
Spectrum, presenting a false idea that those with
Asperger’s Syndrome are to be approached only with
caution. At the outset of both Max Braverman and
Karla Bentham’s introductions, they were portrayed
as a danger to their classmates. In an early season
one scene, Max is shown to become distracted by
and therefore angry at the sound made by a fish
tank in his classroom, subsequently destroying the
tank and appearing to be a danger both to animals
and his fellow classmates (Parenthood: The Deep
End of the Pool, 2010). In presenting Max in this
way from season one, Parenthood instils the notion
that children with Asperger’s Syndrome should be
separated from their neurotypical peers for the
protection of those peers, rather than to help the
autistic individual become more comfortable and get
the most of their time in education.
Similarly, Karla Bentham’s introduction to Waterloo
Road features a scene in which she becomes afraid of
her teacher and hits him with a chair (Waterloo Road:
Season 3 Episode 1, 2007). Though Waterloo Road
arguably does a better job at demonstrating Karla’s
fear prior to her violence, the fact that this violence
came so soon after her initial introduction again
encourages viewers to perceive those with Autism
Spectrum Disorders as an uncontrollable danger
first, and a human being second. Though it is likely
that an individual with Asperger’s Syndrome would
be more uncomfortable and prone to emotional
outbursts on their first day in a new environment
due to a preference for routine (WHO, 153), it seems
preferable for liberties to be taken in portraying this
on screen in order to establish the autistic individual
as a human being first, increasing levels of audience
empathy towards any subsequent outbursts the
drama shows. In doing this, dramas may take an
important step towards humanising their autistic
characters, rather than presenting them merely as a
danger in need of controlling.
Whose Experience?
As I have shown, the portrayals of Asperger’s
Syndrome in both Parenthood and Waterloo Road are,
for the most part, portrayals of severe manifestations
of the condition which do not accurately represent
the experiences of the majority of the autistic
community. For the final part of this study, I seek to
examine the way in which these dramas can leave
Article #3
25