Still, the fact that so many people find they can relate to the genuine, caring, and successful Forrest gives this character, book, and film meaning and value. Whether autistic or not, Lars forces both his fellow characters and audiences to face exactly what it means to be different, and that all of our individual differences actually make us all quite normal. For the most part, autistic characters are played by actors who pantomime what they believe autism to be like. There are also writing decisions that are relevant to the character, if not necessarily directly to the actor. Mary, an eight-year old Australian girl who is often teased at school because of a birthmark on her forehead, randomly chooses an American out of a New York City phone book to write a letter to out of loneliness. We share real-world information about the ABA field to anyone wishing to work in special education, social work, counseling, rehabilitation, and other helping professions. As screenwriter Simon Beaufoy describes, “[Fred] is spectrum autistic, rude, humorless, apparently passionless. Unforgettable stories are forged from one of two places: an extraordinary character in an ordinary location or an ordinary character in an extraordinary world; too much of one and your story becomes out of touch, too little of each and your story becomes well, The Irishman. This article is a list of artistic works with fictional characters confirmed to be on the autism spectrum by their creators or within the work itself. I Love You” includes the wonderful character of Daniel, a bartender with Asperger’s who falls in love with Holly, played by Hilary Swank. Asperger’s in women is often much harder to detect and diagnose due to symptoms that are often subtle and widely varying, which may explain why female characters with Asperger’s are so rare. Asperger’s or not, Brennan is easily one of the most interesting and likable characters on TV. Don’t mistake this for bad acting, however. But that hasn’t stopped the online Aspie community from declaring that Abby does indeed fall on the spectrum. Though author Stieg Larsson never uses the words “autism” or “Asperger’s” to describe the titular character of Lisbeth Salander, co-protagonist Mikael Blomkvist often wonders aloud if the girl has the latter. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and Savant syndrome, is recruited into the surgical unit of a prestigious hospital. This 2009 film tells the story of Adam (Hugh Dancy), who falls in love with and begins dating a woman (played by Rose Byrne) who is not on the Spectrum. Indeed, Gosling’s face remains guarded and inexpressive throughout the movie. At least, that is definitely the case with Brigid Tenenbaum, a character in the popular game “BioShock.” Game creator Ken Levine describes Brigid as “a high-functioning autistic Jewish woman” who must learn to live in the game’s not-so-bright-and-sunny world. Most of the actors/actresses in the movies do a reasonable job of portraying a person with autistic traits. I would give him Obsessive Compulsive probably moderate to severe, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, possibly Social Anxiety Disorder… but not pure Asperger’s as we know it.”. As one online Aspie blogger rightfully asks, “Why is the association of autism and alienism so common?”. If portrayals of autism onscreen are rare, portrayals of nonspeaking and non- or semi-nonverbal autistic characters are far rarer and those that exist, like Life, Animated (2016) tend to be infantilizing and stigmatizing. Oskar’s character has been the subject of heated debates between those in the autism community who find Oskar inspiring and relatable, and critics who found the movie-version Oskar (Thomas Horn) to be everything from “creepy” to “totally weird.” Regardless of the criticisms, Oskar Schell was one of the first autistic main characters in a bestseller, and undeniably paved the way for more characters like him. Today, one in every 68 American children is affected by autism (one in 42 is the prevalence for boys, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention). To me, having white actors play non-white characters, or non-disabled actors play visibly disabled characters, is a completely separate issue from having NT actors play autistic characters. He rattles off random facts such as every prime number up to 7,507, but gets himself into the drama of the storyline when he misunderstands events surrounding the murder of a neighbor’s dog. The two continue their correspondence for many years. Like so many other characters in the world of entertainment, Forrest Gump does not have any official diagnosis. Daryl Hannah (Splash) Paddy Considine (Dead Man’s Shoes) Dan Aykroyd ( Ghostbusters) Brandon Polansky & Samantha Elisofon (Keep the Change) Talia Grant (Hollyoaks) Sir Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs) Kayla Cromer (Everything’s Gonna Be … While we aren’t totally sure about the answer to those questions (the show’s creators have never given Sheldon a formal diagnosis either), we think co-star (and scientist) Mayim Bialik is right on the money with her statement on the matter: “OCD was the topic of my thesis when I did my doctorate. Whether intended or not, Ryan Gosling’s character of The Driver in the film “Drive” has Asperger-like tendencies that one blogger in the online Aspie Community calls “awesome.” The Driver, a highly skilled auto mechanic who makes himself available to criminals as a getaway driver, spends the entire film practically mute both vocally and physically. Amelie Poulain, “Amelie“ Though it’s never a stated fact in the film, the character of Amelie Poulain … Of course, there are fabulous neurotypical actors (Claire Danes, Freddie Highmore) who have played autistic characters (“Temple Grandin,” “The Good Doctor”) wonderfully, in my opinion. As more and more children are diagnosed, and as more and more non-autistic children become surrounded by those on the spectrum, it is more important than ever that we achieve further “neurodiversity” in our entertainment. "Helping Hands". Enter Julia, an adorable muppet of a girl who effectively teaches children at home about the differences and similarities of those with autism. This quirky Indie starring Ryan Gosling gives plenty of reasons why titular character Lars is a little bit different: his mother died giving birth to him, his anti-social father blames him for her death, his older brother leaves the family at a young age, etc. This raw, yet accurate, portrayal of a young boy with Asperger’s is the result of hours of work and effort by actor Max Burkholder executive producer Jason Katims, whose own experiences with his son led him to create the most authentic character possible. But one such female “Aspie” is Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan on the hit crime drama “Bones.” Though actress Emily Deschanel and series creator Hart Hanson will only go as far as to say that Brennan “almost” has Asperger’s, the series heroine displays a number of telltale signs: a lack of interest in being social, a sharp intellect and knack for scientific facts, and an elementary understanding of sarcasm. The theme here isn’t really different than any other romantic comedy: Donald and Isabel must accept their own and each other’s differences in order to become stronger as a couple. appliedbehavioranalysisprograms.com is an advertising-supported site. Though the popular television comedy hasn’t officially diagnosed Abed, the online Asperger’s community has proudly claimed him as its own. In the three decades since Rain Man, a wider range of autistic stereotypes have emerged in the spheres of media and entertainment—from the silent, less functional character, Moose, in Tectonic Theater’s Uncommon Sense (played by autistic actor Andrew Duff), to the unusual pairing of savant-skills with a high-functioning autism diagnosis portrayed by neurotypical actor Freddie Highmore in … She doesn’t make eye contact, often spouts off inappropriate comments, and barely shows an ounce of empathy over the course of the series — things which may or may not be very realistic, depending upon who you ask. Maybe the best-known autistic character in fiction is Christopher Boone, protagonist of the bestselling novel-turned-stage play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.”  Christopher is perhaps one of the most straightforward examples of a young boy with autism. Author Corinne Duyvis is autistic herself. Character appears in all three books, published between 2009 and 2011. Said to be the most accurate portrayal of Asperger’s on television is Max Braverman of the now classic series “Parenthood.” Max’s scenes and story arcs may not always be the easiest to watch, but as parents of those on the Spectrum can probably agree, that’s part of what makes Max so wonderfully realistic. Amy, an Aspie, tends to present a more balanced view of those on the autism spectrum. Music, a film by Sia - coming in early 2021 Character appears in all six "Season One" books, published between 2008 and 2013. Perhaps it makes sense to have an autistic character be a doctor — a top surgeon in this case. While neither Astrid nor anyone else ever explicitly uses the words “autism” or “Asperger’s Syndrome,” Astrid’s symptoms are pretty clear: lack of eye contact, little emotion or empathy, and a knack for math and science, among other things. Claire Barnett is autistic, has ADHD and works in disability advocacy at Vanderbilt University’s Frist Center for Autism and Innovation. Still, we think a Lisbeth with Asperger’s is most likely because of the events in the fourth book, “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” in which Lisbeth goes out of her way to protect a young, non-verbal, Autistic savant who witnesses his father’s brutal murder. Easily the most debated character on our list is Dr. Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory. — contribute to an interesting, clever, and well-acted character who likely falls somewhere on the Spectrum. In the mission briefing for "Hidden Journals" she is referred to as "an insane introvert with Asperger's". Thomas's Freeform show, Everything's Gonna Be Okay, features an Autistic character played by an Autistic actress and has been praised for its … When he meets Isabel (Rahda Mitchell), another Aspie who joins his group, he almost immediately begins to fall in love. Series 3 Episode 1 to Series 5 Episode 20. We seem to be finally getting a taste of that, thanks to Mickey Rowe. Few PC words to describe the classic character of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) are used for the entirety of the movie, but a number of people in the Autism Spectrum community recognize the lovable Forrest as one of their own, one with autism. While Sheldon Cooper may be the favorite among most viewers of “The Big Bang Theory,” those in the Aspie community seem to favor Sheldon’s long-time girlfriend, Amy Farrah Fowler. As one blogger in the Aspie community mentions, “[Maurice] is not the butt of the joke, but rather a part of the joke.”. 2006-01-17. Meanwhile, those on the spectrum are sure to feel less alone when they are able to recognize characters like them. She chooses Max, a 44-year old man who happens to have Asperger’s. Besides the typical social quirks, Adam has a hard time connecting with those around him, a necessary ability when in a relationship. The plot centres on a young woman — played by Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler — who presents as a non-speaking autistic person. Instead, Sia chose to cast Maddie Ziegler, a non-autistic actor. I think that Sheldon would definitely be on the spectrum, as we say. Appears in the downloadable mission "Overlord". This is a list of fictional characters that have been explicitly described within the work in which they appear, or otherwise by the author, as having conditions on the autism spectrum. If you’re reading this article, you can likely predict the challenges that occur. Boston Legal. Latham begs a co-worker to help him, which unearths a number of moral dilemmas for the both of them. By Katherine Bry, Washington University Thoughts x December 7, 2020 “Salmon Fishing on the Yemen” is a 2011 film about a fisheries scientist, Dr. Alfred Jones, who receives an unusual request from a wealthy sheik: bring the sport of salmon fishing to Yemen. ", "Teen with autism comes of age in Netflix's 'Atypical, "Origin (2018) s01e05 Episode Script | SS", "REVIEW: YouTube Red's Impulse is Far More than a Sequel to Jumper", "On-screen diversity monitoring: BBC One and BBC Two 2018", "CBeebies Pablo: empowering young people with autism", "Hollyoaks has cast Talia Grant as autistic character Brooke Hathaway", "Casualty: Maddy Hill on playing new paramedic Ruby – and whether she'd return to EastEnders as Nancy", "A superhero kid with autism shines in new PBS Kids' series", "Indigo Prophecy Character Profiles – Marcus and Jade", "Conflict in Utopia - How Relationships Are at the Heart of Ken Levine's New Game", "Brigid Tenenbaum Voice - Bioshock franchise", "Assuming Direct Control: Mass Effect 2: Overlord", https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Borderlands-2/Patricia-Tannis/%7Ctitle=Patricia, "Overwatch fan theory about Symmetra finally confirmed by Blizzard", "Interview: Watch Dogs 2's Jonathan Dubsky and Tasya Teles on Unique Character Roles", Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, Association for Science in Autism Treatment, Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation (Jamaica), The Accidental Teacher: Life Lessons from My Silent Son, Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Asperger's Syndrome, Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_autistic_fictional_characters&oldid=1022788849, Fictional characters on the autism spectrum, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This character also appears in the sequel, This book was adapted into the television film, This character also appears in the preceding novel. 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