Hello all!
I’m slowly chugging through the first draft of a new project and as I’m getting to know a side character, I’m considering that they might be neurodivergent, possibly on the autism spectrum. I believe it’s incredibly important to create accurate and positive representation for underrepresented communities and seek to do so to the best of my ability in my writing.
Since I’m not autistic, I want to either hear from people who are who are willing to share tips (such as experiences they’ve had while consuming media about autistic characters and what they’ve seen done well or what’s harmful), or people who know of resources I can check out to make sure I write this character (and others) in the best way possible.
Thank you for any advice or links you give!
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SBSK on YouTube, real life Autistic folks (if you’ve got any friends of family members to chat to), and a girl called Paige Layle on TikTok come to mind for me! All resources I learn much from.
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SBSK is a really good resource, seconding this!
And I’ve gotta say, you’ve probably heard about this, but just to let you know, Autism Speaks is NOT a good resource at all.
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Some of what comes to mind when you think of an autism spectrum character is probably socially awkward, easily upset, etc. That’s pretty accurate, to an extent. [name_m]Just[/name_m] how far on the spectrum are you thinking of going? That affects a lot. For example, if you going for something like Asperger’s, the character might be picky (some symptoms of OCD), uncomfortable/awkward in social situations (this trait tends to be more common in boys, but it is by no means limited only to them), and smart or gifted. Not everyone with Asperger’s is gifted, but it is a common pairing.
I don’t know as much about other types of autism, so I won’t be able to help as much with that. Still, I hope that (if you’re going for something closer to Asperger’s) this has been helpful.