An Increase in Representation
Image from UC Santa Cruz News Center
A 2011 paper, “Infantilizing Autism,” discussed the notions that there was a lack of representation of adults with autism in the media. This lack of representation does not allow for a spread of awareness and increasing understanding of autism. The authors of this paper, made up of psychologists from different universities, theorized that “the bias toward representing children might be due to factors like advocacy organizations being led by parents and clinicians and a predominant focus on initial diagnosis and treatment of autism,” as noted by UC Santa Cruz.
However, psychology professors Nameera Akhtar and Janette Dinishak at UC Santa Cruz in 2019 decided to replicate the 2011 study and analyze whether any changes occurred. As autism awareness has spread over the years and the neurodivergent movement has experienced growth, psychologists Jennifer Stevenson, Bev Harp and Morton Ann Gernsbacher felt there may have been changes in autism representation since 2011. In an interview with the UC Santa Cruz News Center, Professor Akhtar noted the importance of representation for autistic adults. Though considered adults at 18, those with autism still can benefit from resources and aid.
The replication conducted examined the representation of individuals with autism online, in the entertainment industry, and in the publishing industry. Compared to the 2011 study, findings in 2019 reported that representation of adults with autism had made significant increases. Specifically, 80% of the studied autism support websites featured sections on adults; movies and television shows now had more portrayals of adults with autism; and less fiction and news stories focused solely on children with autism. Though results of the 2019 study present hope, there is still room to grow. UC Santa Cruz Philosophy Professor Janette Dinishak perfectly sums up what is now expected: “we need to see a continued increase in the number of representations of autistic adults, along with an improvement in the manner of that representation to reflect the heterogeneity of how autism manifests across a person’s lifespan.”