Autistic Characters

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Hello! I recently registered on this website months after finding it. I've browsed through a few forums once in a while, and finally decided to become a member. I also signed up because I am planning to do some research on autism. I'm planning on writing a Final Fantasy 7 fan-fiction, and my protagonist, Jewel Claire, is autistic. However, I am hesitant to start because I understand that autistic characters haven't been getting proper representation over the years due to all the terrible stereotypes, and while I have done a lot of research on autism, I feel like I should get information from actual people who are on the spectrum. I have never written an autistic character before, so doing plenty of research is crucial for me in order to make Jewel an authentic character with positive representation. What are your real-life experiences and how do they affect you? Any examples of autistic traits? How can I add these traits without coming off as disrespectful? Also, what are the stereotypes? What can I do to avoid them and what should I look for in order to write a good autistic character? Any advice is appreciated.

There's somebody here who is absolutely obsessed with Sonic the Hedgehog.

I hope she comes on here soon.

Start by reading a lot of threads. Then you can ask more specific questions. Those seem too general to me.

If the character is to be recognised as autistic then you're going to have to use stereotypes, so it looks like you're onto a losing battle.

I'm currently in the process of writing a story with autistic characters too. It is good that you are going to autistic people for advice on this. I would read and maybe participate in some threads as suggested earlier, then move on to specific questions. The more specific you can be with what exactly it is you want to know, the better all of us can help you.

Thank you!

First, THANK YOU for consulting autistic people. A huge thing in the autistic and greater disability community is the concept of "nothing about us without us." Too often people write about and speak about autistic people without ever consulting an autistic person. There are books written about the way autistic supposedly think written by people who have never had a serious conversation with someone on the spectrum. You have no idea how much it means to me personally, and probably many others, that you decided to consult the REAL experts on autism: autistics themselves.

Now that that's out of the way, there are a few things you should consider. As others have mentioned, you need to consider whether or not this character will be explicitly identified as autistic or not. There are plenty of autistic people in film, TV, and literature that are pretty easy to diagnose as autistic but not explicitly said to be on the spectrum. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, Sherlock Holmes, and Tim Murphy (the little boy) from Jurassic Park are all characters who are very likely autistic but are never identified as such. It shouldn't be too hard to write a character who is autistic but isn't identified as such.

Now, a character who is identified as autistic is different. People with limited knowledge and experience with autism are going to think of what they know, and unfortunately that's usually a stereotype. I hate stereotypes with a burning passion, but they're what match people's preconceived perceptions, so they're the easiest things for people to understand when it comes to autism. For example, Christian Wolfe from The Accountant is such a massive stereotype that it makes me want to punch a wall. However, there's a reason he's written that way. That character is identified as autistic, so to help the audience understand the character, he fits a stereotype that more people would recognize. If you have an openly autistic character, people might get confused if that character doesn't fit a recognizable autism stereotype, even if that stereotype is grossly inaccurate. It would be easier to write a stereotype if you're going to identify your protagonist as autistic.

That said, I encourage you to write an openly autistic character who breaks stereotypes. (Breaking stereotypes is more accurate to real autistics, BTW) The more we can give the public a more accurate picture of autism the easier the world becomes for autistic people.

Secondly, from what perspective is the story being told? 1st or 3rd person? Do we know the characters' thoughts? If it's told from the 1st person perspective of the protagonist, you're going to have to try and emulate the autistic way of thinking. Now, everyone on the spectrum thinks differently, however there is a very distinctive pattern to the way autistic people generally think. I can't describe it, even via text, but all I can say is that you know it when you see it if that's also how you also think. Now, you (the OP) are neurotypical, so this distinctly autistic way of thinking would probably be very difficult for you to accurately write. I'm sure most of those on the spectrum who hang out on WP would help you write the character to match this autistic way of thinking, but it wouldn't be easy to do I don't think. Keep that in mind when writing in perspective.

I'll follow this thread for when you post questions. I'd be very happy to be one of the people who helps your protagonist accurately portray autism. There are as many manifestations of autism as there are autistic people, so don't get too worried about getting it "just right." The spectrum is broad, after all.

Oh, and just something you should know, many if not most autistics have trouble with generalized questions. Asking specific questions is very very helpful for many of us! Good luck!

Charles Wallace Murry from A Wrinkle in Time

Special interests don't necessarily make sense. Not everyone who has a train obsession also has autism. However, with autism, special interests may look like an NT's interests, but they might also appear too focused. Someone might have an intense interest in one component of a popular item, like being fascinated by and extremely knowledgeable about hubcaps, but not caring about cars at all. However, lots of people with autism have diverse and changing special interests, and only distinguish themselves by how long and intensely they focus on those interests.

Lots of people with autism have sensory processing difficulties. I can't recall having a meltdown because of noise, though, and if someone yells at me, I have the ability to yell right back. Other people react very differently, though, and react differently at different times. Regarding wanting to get away, people with autism can develop the ability to maintain a façade and deal with situations even if they want to get away.

We have a lot of weird ideas around here about how NT people think, too. It's a mystery. Frequently NT people agree with the logical conclusions of ND people in the abstract. It's possible some people want the autistic answer to the question, "Does this dress make me look fat?" Honesty's a good thing, right? I can't describe the difference, but I know it when I see it. I guess you still need to read a few more threads , but good work so far!

We get jokes. See above.

Stimming typically looks like repetitive, focused fidgeting, you could say. Smart aspies learn to use kegels (or the male equivalent) to stim discreetly. You can also work your abs if you're careful. I used to tap my fingers in complicated patterns or click my jaw. I don't know why it makes me feel better. A distraction? Something totally in my control? A way to burn off energy that I actually want to use picking up my sword and shield and righting some wrongs?

I'd guess you'd handle an autistic character with respect in the same way you'd handle any character with respect. Autistic traits can change, or may express themselves only in certain situations. People have a lot of ways to deal with disclosure, if they can deal with social situations well enough to need to disclose their autism.

Good luck with the writing!

I think you should probably watch some videos on YouTube where people with autism describe what having autism is like.

This person, Temple Grandin, is pretty highly regarded for explaining autism. There's even a movie about her (played by an actress) that shows how her mind works etc.

Shutdown involves putting a tight lid on emotions and sensations as a way to prevent a meltdown, which feels like a near-total loss of emotional control. I can funtion in "walking shutdown" for quite a while.

Here are my answers Sonic 1991
Sorry for the text wall

1. (interests) It's like being a normal otaku, but not being able to tell when I can nerd out and when I should keep my mouth shut.

2. (sensory shenanigans) I can't touch velvet, or anything even slightly velvety. People touching me feels like a tiny electric shock, I can handle it no problem if I know it's coming but surprises suck. Busy loud places are uncomfortable. If I'm already upset or off-kilter any of the above will wreck me, but I can handle them in isolation.
The major autism stereotypes frame sensory issues as a reaction to socialization like people talking, cars honking, etc. Also sensory issues tend to be one of the most common autistic traits outside of autism. Almost everyone in my extended family has some kind of "I hate touching/hearing X", but I'm the only diagnosis.

3. (autistic way of thinking) This is a hard one. The closest I have ever come to a definition is the programming language prolog. I build up a mental collection of (if this then that)s, then any time I have to make a decision on anything it goes through that collection. Not quite as strictly as prolog but close. I have difficulty making a decision on something if I don't have a related entry in the collection, If I have an entry in the collection that is "close but not quite the same" my decision/action/reaction will be "close but not quite the same" to what NTs expect.

4. (other) I have plenty of empathy, I just can't communicate it well. The empathy thing is especially one of the most hurtful stereotypes. If I'm not cautious about who I disclose my diagnosis to, being called a psychopath/sociopath is usually the #1 thing out of peoples mouths, it hurts.

I like to analysis myself and I still have no idea why eye contact is so uncomfortable. I had a "theory of mind" disassociation once where I briefly saw the people I was with as things not people, and then I could look in their eyes no problem. It's easy to fake, un-focus and look at noses and most NTs can't tell the difference, but I had to have someone tell me the trick I couldn't figure it out on my own.

Social difficulties and missing sarcasm/jokes is related to how I think, that 'prolog' like mental state makes interactions with many potential interpretations hard to handle. Many inputs, expression, emotion, location, etc. etc. etc., and many output conditions, varying definitions of words (love, hate don't mean the same thing to everyone), language barriers, speed (short or long sentences), etc. etc. etc.

Eidetic memory and "Savantism" occur in NT and AS populations at approximately the same rate. Stereotypes like Rain Man cause these things to be attributed to AS. I had an NT friend tell me her brain damaged (car crash) savant uncle had AS, I really appreciated being associated to someone with brain damage *Sarcasm*.

You should also look into walking on tip-toes. It's apparently something very very common in AS.

5. (stimming) Like fidgeting, except the repetition of the same movement (for me) is soothing. Think tapping your fingers, or bouncing your leg. Thankfully my stim, leg bouncing (or foot waggling when my leg is up), looks normal but the stereotype comes from people with stims that don't "look normal" like hand flapping or rocking.

6. (respect) Honestly just try and write a character with depth beyond autism. We have ideals and goals and dreams and hopes just like everyone else. When a character's role in a story is based on their abnormality (Rainman or Sheldon Cooper) that's when you get into disrespectful territory.

Ask yourself "Why do I want my character to have autism" then think about your answer as if you were saying it to your character's face.

7. (shutdown) Literally robot shutdown. I tend to block out everything, empty my mind, and doodle. Also I'm a luck SOB because usually only strong emotions cause me to shut down, I can usually handle everything else and/or get away from the problem before it becomes a problem.

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