Want to learn about 10 iconic fictional characters that have autism, and if they are accurate representations? Like someone with ADHD, a person with autism can thrive and be successful in the real world, but the world of fiction can be another matter entirely.
However, understanding the differences in portrayal in media vs real life can help us in many ways, often by raising awareness of certain aspects of this neurodivergence. So, in this blog, we will explore 10 fictional characters that have autism, so that you can do some exploring of your own and maybe find a great film or series to watch at the same time.
What is Autism? Understanding the Basics
Autism is a disorder that can impact different people in vastly different ways. Many people with autism face challenges regarding non-verbal communication, repetitive behaviours, speech, social skills, and more. However, there is no one size fits all, as some individuals with autism can lead relatively normal lives, while others require additional support in aspects of their lives.
It is important to know that while autism can be incredibly varied, there are a number of common comorbidities to consider. Things like sleep disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety, and depression are all common disorders that many autistic people will have alongside autism. This can pose additional challenges.
The Signs of Autism
Below, we will go through the common signs of autism in adults, and what you should know about autism in women.
Primary signs of autism in adults:
- Difficulty understanding what other people might be feeling or thinking
- Anxiety due to social situations
- Preferring to be on your own or finding it challenging to make friends
- Coming off as uninterested, rude, or blunt regarding what others are saying
- Difficulty stating how you feel
- Taking things literally (this is especially common with phrases and sarcasm)
- Enjoying having a routine and becoming anxious when that routine changes
As with many disorders, including ADHD, diagnosing autism in women is more difficult compared to diagnosing men. This is because women are very good at copying behaviours as they grow up, which allows them to effectively ‘mask’ their autistic traits and ‘fit in’ with those around them.
Overall, you can expect most autistic women to:
- Show fewer repetitive behaviours
- Hide their feelings and be quieter
- Copy people without autism and ‘fit in’ better
- Seem to handle social situations better
10 Iconic Fictional Characters That Have Autism
Before we jump into 10 iconic fictional characters that have autism, please remember that many depictions will not be accurate to real life. Not only that, but there are many other characters that people have inferred to have autism, such as Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice and Michael Schofield from Prison Break (and his actor Wentworth Miller).
The Good Doctor’s Dr Shaun Murphy
A well-known, but not necessarily well-liked portrayal of autism is Dr. Shaun Murphy from The Good Doctor. Depicted as a medical savant (despite a medical savant not existing), this character does a good job of showing us a variety of characteristics that are in line with autistic behaviours, and has largely been praised as a multifaceted character with both weaknesses and strengths to consider.
The Big Bang Theory’s Dr. Sheldon Cooper
Probably the most well-known character with ASD on this list, The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper is quirky, intelligent, and communicates in a way that some people might find unusual. He also has special interests that include maths, science, particular TV shows, and comics to accompany his high intelligence as he appears alongside other autistic characters, such as Dr. Amy Farrah-Fowler.
Forrest Gump from Forrest Gump
Portrayed by Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump is another character that the ASD community has claimed as one of their own. This character takes things literally and has the ability to maintain incredible singular focus while thriving with routine – just like most autists out there.
NCIS’ Abby Sciuto
Beloved Abby Sciuto is another character without an official diagnosis. With keen interests in all things forensics and science, Abby also names her machines and computers and isn’t afraid to be her eccentric self. As one of the few well-known depictions of a woman on the spectrum, Abby is bound to be one of your favourite characters if you ever embark on the show.
To Kill a Mockingbird’s Boo Radley
To Kill a Mockingbird features the elusive and reclusive Boo Radley, a man who rarely leaves his house, dislikes bright lights, and is able to stab a man in the leg without showing much feeling. While Harper Lee didn’t have a label to put on Boo when the novel was written in the 50s and published in 1960, many people recognise this character to be autistic, and worth exploring more via the novel and films adaptations.
Sesame Street’s Julia
As one of the newer characters on The Muppets, Julia teaches children about the similarities and differences between people with autism and without. Since there are over 75 million people with ASD globally, it makes sense to finally have a character like this to teach people more about this neurodiversity in a setting like The Muppets.
Rain Man’s Raymond ‘Ray’ Babbitt
Portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, this film brought the existence of autism to many people in 1988. The character, Raymond ‘Ray’ Babbitt, has plenty of unique mannerisms and faces difficulty socialising, and is yet another character to have exceptional savant abilities in the form of his impeccable memory.
The IT Crowd’s Maurice Moss
Played by Richard Ayoade, many people agree that Maurice Moss is one of the best representations of autism in modern media. He is ‘weird’ (self-proclaimed), funny, likeable, and most importantly, he isn’t the butt of the joke, as many characters with autism seem to be. Instead, his portrayal of autism feels genuine, and reflects many autistic individuals more accurately – even if he is less well-known.
Community’s Abed Nadir
Abed Nadir’s special interest lies in pop culture rather than science or maths, making this a refreshing depiction of autism for many people. Throughout this show, Abed explores friendships and relationships, including their challenges, and ultimately shows us that forming meaningful relationships and showing empathy doesn’t have to be an unattainable goal for autists, like many other media depictions seem to hint.
Atypical’s Sam Gardner
As one of the more recent depictions of autism, Atypical’s Sam Gardner is a high school student who explores the challenges associated with ASD as he navigates life and everything it can throw at him. He is one of the few characters on the list with an official autism diagnosis, making this series a refreshing concept where the topic isn’t tiptoed around.
Is Autism Accurately Depicted in Fiction?
If you have seen any of the above depictions of autism, and you have autism yourself, you might notice that there are some stark differences between the two. Generally, the media shows two kinds of depictions of autistic people: saviours and burdens. This is backed by studies, and can pave an inaccurate and potentially concerning path if people are not able to differentiate between fact and fiction.
The majority of autistic characters in media are characterised with high intelligence and a background of science while being socially inept, but this simply isn’t always accurate. You get autistic people with all kinds of interests and of a wide variety of IQ levels, so constantly pushing any one narrative could be damaging.
With that being said, there are some depictions of autism in the media that are excellent, with Raymond ‘Ray’ Babbitt from Rain Man widely being accepted as one of the best representations. This representation was based on a real person, and producers enlisted the help of psychiatrists to get the representation to be accurate.
However, even this film is not without fault, and due to its popularity in the late 80s when it was released, led to many people assuming that all autistic people were savants, when this is incredibly rare.
Final Thoughts
To read more, check out our blogs looking at the causes of a short attention span, tips to help you improve your concentration, and the importance of nutrition and brain development. For those struggling, we also offer help with how to parent a child with autism and ADHD, the difference between Asperger and autism, and if ASD is a learning disability.
Now that you know of these 10 iconic fictional characters that have autism, it could be a fun idea to watch some of these pieces to see their interpretation of neurodivergence. Please just remember that not all depictions will be accurate, but it’s also important to keep in mind that everyone’s journey with autism is unique.
To learn more, why not look at our success stories, as well as our assessments, programs and results? If you have any questions, or would simply like to speak with us here at the Brain Workshop, we would love to hear from you.
