Portrayal of autistic people in films/TV

[AutisticHouseMove]

I was diagnosed as autistic in my early 40s.

When I was younger, the only real portrayal of autism I was aware of was Rainman.

I also know there has been criticism of that because it portrayed an autistic man as a 'low functioning' savant.

Over recent years, I've noticed a prevalence of a different type of autistic person. Usually working in some kind of solitary role requiring a high level of intelligence (eg scientist), who is brilliant/the best at their job but completely lacking in empathy or social skills and getting it all wrong when they have to interact with colleagues or friends.

They're rarely identified as 'autistic' but there are hints along the way, comments from other characters about how 'weird' or 'difficult' or 'awkward' they are or how curious it is watching them trying to interact with or behave like 'the humans/earthlings'. Or other characters have to brace themselves against the tone deaf comments. Basically, either endearingly odd, a bit of a dick or both.

I don't know. It just makes me feel uncomfortable and embarrassed even when I realise this character (and they're recognisable because they're all portrayed in the same way) is supposed to represent me. Or is this really how NT people perceive many of us to be?

YABU - the portrayal of people with autism in films and TV shows is pretty much how I experience autistic people in real life

YANBU - you have a point.

" You just said the ability to read and write has nothing to do with the autism diagnosis criteria."

I haven't said that at all, you're misrepresenting what I wrote.

Yes the autism dx is based on autism. Some are more severly impacted than others. I'm glad we've found some common ground especially in excluding comorbids like mental health needs and learning disability.

Which has nothing to do with intellectual disability.

It’s impossible to quantify how much autism somebody has.

All DSM can do is highlight support needs and that isn’t reliable, there are different types of support in each severity, it can fluctuate and some will have higher support due to intellectual disabilities running alongside side NOT autism.

So are you really saying that everyone has the same 'amount of autism'? With the only difference be comorbids? I know you mentioned ld but if you're going down this road do you include mh as a comorbid?

I'd love to see the research on this or even where youve read this. It is really interesting.

You did you said my kids’ Autism was less severe because they can read and write . The ability to read and write has nothing to do with the diagnostic process so you can quit lowering the Autism severity of those who are literate. It has zilch to do with their autism severity.

You can’t be quantify impact accurately
so no there is no common ground.

Just to add as I've reread that youve said you cant possible tell the amount of autism someone has just support needs they have due to ld (and I would add mh needs). You do realise that some people's support needs dont fluctuate and are high constantly because of their severe needs (non mh related).

You really can't see that someone with the basics of being able to speak/ communicate (reading and writing helps with aac) in any form would have less severe needs than someone who can't?

Perhaps consider where it comes from.

Consider how many times I (and many others) have encountered people who give the "two ends of the spectrum" crap in order to not-so-subtly insinuate that if we're able to put ourselves under enormous strain to live without supervision 90% of the time we're somehow not really autistic by some nebulous completely-unscientific metric that they've cooked up entirely by themselves.

Even when we manage to get a discussion going about autism that has nothing to do with any of that argument, there's always at least one of them that comes along and shit on it by starting it all over again.

It's sickening and rage-inducing in equal measure.

So...yeah. I've lived with the judgement and lack of compassion of the majority of the human race I've encountered prior to my diagnosis, and now I get this invalidating, offensive rubbish from a much smaller subset everywhere I go. It's absolutely astonishing that I don't have all that much compassion left for the people doing it.

Nope not at all when there are many substantial support needs. As we’ve established the ability to read and write has nothing to do with the autism diagnosis criteria.

Why do you need validating by others.

I ask this in ernest. Why is it so offensive that there are people who are severly impacted by autism? Why is it distasteful or invalidating?

Your lack of compassion for that 'subset' speaks volumes.

Just quoting your DSM. It is they who make it clear that the support needs they list can change. Also that diagnosis is not based on intellectual disability.

“criterion E: these disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental delay”

Right back at you.

Substantial support needs. These are clearly different to the substantial support needs I'm talking about.

I'm not sorry for saying this but yes there are people with profoud/ severe autism and yes their needs are more so than someone who is able to speak, read and write.

It isn't my dsm? I wish it was, I'd love to make a few changes.

Some people's don't change, they just have severe or profound autism every second of every minute of everyday of their life. No fluctuating no hope of removing some of those support needs.

Which is completely at odds with DSM who you keep quoting. The ability to read and write has nothing to do with autism and you can’t dictate or lecture on needs you know zilch about. Support needs that stop death are pretty substantial .

Everybody with an autism diagnosis has a severe impact on their life, every second of every day. It never leaves and is impossible to quantify as everybody has a bespoke diagnosis across several traits.

I've been clear about why I want the dx splitting. It's you that won't answer the above questions. I don't need anyone to validate my son's dx, needs or anything else. I want the dx splitting to bring clarity to his dx which at the moment represents so many presentations it's meaningless and for the most part doesn't communicate his presentation when it's used.

I haven't said those that dont have severe autism don't have needs, I've said they do. They're just not comparable to people with profound autism.

Yet it's you that keeps raising the dsm not me? I put the visual up to show the change in the dx and the descriptors of levels.

Communication is a huge part of autism being able to speak, read and write are some pretty useful skills.

A totally insulting post and incorrect. It’s impossible to split or compartmentalise autism. It’s nigh on impossible to get a diagnosis as it is on the NHS, hours of wrangling back and forth amongst professionals with challenges by families to incorrect categorisation is never going to happen.

There are many ways of communicating and for some they may be able to read and write or speak but still can’t communicate hence reading and writing not being part of the diagnosis. Some people can speak but don’t.

Well no, not everyone does get a bespoke dx, if only! Not everyone is impacted to the same severity and not constantly.

There isn't a world where someone whois able to communicate using speaking, reading and writing is more severe or as severe as my son. The premise is laughable.

It wasn't that hard for my son he was diagnosed at two after a wait because it was so clear.

You may want to check out profound autism and it's descriptors. They're quantifiable.

You absolutely can’t dictate that- as we’ve said the ability to read and write has nothing to do with autism diagnosis.

Many can speak and read and write. It does not mean they use those tools
to communicate.

As an autistic (undiagnosed) person in their mid 40s I love Bones.

I think it's brilliant the way they show everyone else not giving a sh*t how she is "weird", "difficult" or "awkward". It's just her, the way her brain works makes her brilliant at what she does and they respect her for it.

I am well aware I can be awkward and weird, but thats why I have friends who are ok with that and love me for being me! A bit bonkers who often lacks filters and asks things i want to know that others won't ask. People role their eyes at me for asking yet all await the answer as they want to know 😂

Well the diagnosis process was very male dominant and many many women and girls were sidelined .

So again you believe that someone who can't speak, read and write can have more severe autism than someone who can't.

I'm aware of different forms of communication such as objects of reference which is used with pre verbal people (verbal in the definition of being able to use words not speak via voice).