Autism In Modern Media

Autism is a developmental disorder that 1 in 68 children are born with yearly and it’s becoming more common each and every year. Autism affects how a person interacts with others, and the world around them and there is a whole spectrum of Autism such as Asperger’s Syndrome, a high functioning Autism. For more than a decade Autism has become more aware in the general public and in that time Autism and it’s other forms have appeared more frequently in media. But how often does the media show Autism for what it really is? Are modern characters with Autism true representations or are they completely wrong?

Sheldon Cooper – The Big Bang Theory

The first candidate on this list is also one of the few who has not been diagnosed in the show. Though never confirmed, Sheldon Cooper displays numerous traits of Asperger’s Syndrome. One of the most apparent traits is Sheldon’s interest and intelligence in his favorite subjects such as science, history and his favorite pop culture. People with Aspeger’s are shown to work well with their favorite fields and topics, able to remember everything they’ve learned with ease. However, when it comes to topics or fields Sheldon isn’t comfortable with he finds himself being the one confused and unable to cope. This is evident in Sheldon’s lack of knowledge in modern pop culture and his inability to drive.

Another trait is Sheldon’s strict routines. In every episode Sheldon has some sort of routine or ritual that he must do, be it Saturday morning activities, or what foods must be eaten on certain days and in certain quantities. Any break from those routines and Sheldon becomes anxious and irritated. This leads into a another trait of Asperger’s: Fear of change. People with Asperger’s tend to hate change and often are completely terrified by it. In last year’s season finale Sheldon learns that his best friend is getting married, Sheldon would most likely have to move out of his apartment and change his field of study. The overabundance of change around him caused Sheldon to have something of a breakdown and to cope he decided he had to be alone for a while and to do so he partook in one of his favorite things: Riding trains. Something that was still familiar to him.

The last major trait of Asperger’s that Sheldon has is his mind blindness. Sheldon has had a difficult time knowing what people are thinking as he has no understanding of social ques. Throughout the first season Sheldon had no grasp of the concept of sarcasm and whenever one of his friends was sarcastic he took it literally. Even after he finally understood sarcasm he still had difficulty identifying when his friends were using it. Though never identified with Asperger’s it’s still clear with all of

the evident traits that Sheldon does have it, and this first case media does a fine job of showing what Asperger’s is.

Zen – Chocolate

One of the most flattering examples of characters with Autism is also a mostly false representation. In the 2008 Thai martial arts film Chocolate the main character, Zen, is a young woman with Autism who is also a Muay Thai savant. But how does she know Muay Thai so well? Has she had years of training from a patient master? No, she learns Muay Thai simply from watching Thai martial arts films and immediately memorizes what to do. While it is true that people with Autism tend to have good memory with certain subjects they cannot quickly mimic something complex they have just seen.

Despite this false representation there are still some aspects of Zen’s character that are true traits of Autism. The most evident is Zen’s sensitivity to certain sounds. People with Autism can have panic attacks triggered by specific sounds like bells, whistles and the sounds of appliances. In Chocolate, Zen hates the sound of flies buzzing around and when she hears this sound a panic attack is triggered. Another trait is Zen’s poor social interactions. Throughout the film Zen is shown to be mostly quiet and keeps to herself when around others. Even early in the film as her mother is being attacked she does nothing as she has no understanding of what it happening. So despite the over exaggerated idea of an unbelievably strong memory Zen still displays some true aspects of Autism. However, it still is nice to see a young Autistic woman beat up small army of thugs.

Adam – Adam

Adam follows the story of Adam Raiki, a man with Asperger’s falling in love and going through a committed relationship with a “normal” woman. The film is another fine example of living a life with Asperger’s, all the while showing the difficulty one with Asperger’s has when trying to find a significant other.

Adam displays all the characteristics of Asperger’s and the film goes into detail with each aspect such as Adam’s primary interest, mind blindness, intelligence and fear of change. Most of these come into play and description when he’s courting and in a relationship with his love interest Beth. Initially he’s afraid of going anywhere with her, held back by his routines and fear of the unknown. As their relationship develops Adam grows more comfortable with Beth and it’s evident that Beth is having an impact on Adam, causing him to come out of his shell more and more.

Of course there are difficulties with their relationship. Adam’s mind blindness, routine and fear of change cause some of friction between Beth and him and eventually the two break up. However, during the third act Adam has to take what he learned from his relationship with Beth and leap into the unknown to see her by leaving the home he’s never left in his whole life and use resources he’s been far too afraid to use. Adam not only gives a well detailed description of a man with Asperger’s and the difficulties one must face in everyday life but how the right person could help anyone with Asperger’s to be more comfortable with the unknown and try something new with their life.

Max Bergman – Hawaii Five-0

Like Sheldon Cooper, Chief Medical Examiner Max Bergman is never identified as having Asperger’s yet displays the characteristics. In his initial introduction Max is playing a piano, an activity that helps him relax, and cannot be interrupted in his ritual until he is finished with the piece he is playing. Throughout the series whenever Max is going over his findings in a case he will typically divert off the main topic onto a topic of interest of his, and ramble on about it for a moment before someone stops him and puts him back on track.

Another trait of Aspeger’s that Max possesses is passive anger. People with Asperger’s tend to have two different types of anger: aggressive anger and passive anger. Aggressive anger is loud and often time’s violent while passive anger is subtle and quiet. In one episode the main characters McGarret and Dan-O had offended Max and his passive response was to pretend they didn’t exist, as such he would not respond to their questions. Once more a show has represented a character with Asperger’s without identifying them as having it but even so media once more does well in its representation.

Ben – Ben X

A horrible ordeal that any person on the Autism spectrum must endure in their life is being bullied and the film Ben X gives an all too real example of what it’s like to be on the spectrum and be bullied. Ben is a teenager with Asperger’s whose main interest centers on a massive multiplayer online role playing game. In school Ben is endlessly tormented by two primary bullies Desmet and Bogaert who torment Ben any chance they get. Initially Ben deals with his tormentors by ignoring them or by delving into his imagination, an aspect that is immensely strong and limitless in people with Asperger’s, and picturing himself as a warrior in his game battling two evil monsters.

Over time, however, Ben’s options soon dry up as his tormentors begin to escalate their despicable games through public humiliation and physical violence and all Ben can do now is be pushed further and further to the breaking point. The true tragedy is the lack of help Ben receives as most of the school views him as a joke and an outsider and even the teachers themselves can’t do much to help, even the ones who truly care about Ben’s well being. It’s a great difficulty being bullied but to be on the spectrum is a nightmare and Ben X goes into heavy detail in the pain and desperation one on the spectrum must put up with and how most deal with it.

Luke and Zack – The Story of Luke

The last two characters to discuss are a mix of both identification and alluding. Luke is a young man with Autism and the film does well in his representation. Luke’s traits include his fear of being touched by others (in the beginning especially when he has a panic attack from two women placing their hands on his shoulders), having a routine and a good knowledge of a certain subject. This subject centers on cooking and Luke is a savant in it though doesn’t fair well in other subjects. The film has a rather humorous moment when a man assumes Luke is savant at math and has a photographic memory of which Luke is neither, one of the film’s subtle and humorous nods to Rain Man.

Luke also goes to great lengths to preserve what he knows. In the first act Luke’s grandmother has passed away and his grandfather was slipping into dementia. As such Luke had no choice but to move in with his aunt and uncle, an environment that Luke doesn’t understand. The only tie to the world he has known for so long are the final rational words his grandfather told him: “Get a job. Find a girl. Live your own life. Be a man!” Luke takes these words to heart and does everything he can to get a job, find a girlfriend and learn what it’s like to be a man.

In his journey Luke comes across Zack, an employee at the company where Luke finds training who clearly has Asperger’s though isn’t identified. A major constant with Zack is that he’s aggressively angry, constantly shouting at Luke and others and generally making Luke miserable. Zack also has to have his own personal space where he’s separated from the other employees and it’s in this environment that other aspects of his Aspeger’s show.

Zack refers to the other employees as “neural typicals” a phrase initially used in Adam. Zack sees his co-workers almost like a different race of being and watches and studies them from secret, learning facial recognition, typical body language and social cues, showing his mind blindness. He even developed a program to help him, and subsequently Luke, practice speaking to others.

Conclusion

In recent years movies and television have done an excellent job of representing characters with Autism and those who are on the spectrum. The characters shown are fine representations, showing what people who are on the spectrum are like and not only show the hardships they must face but the joys of everyday life. Overall media has done well representing Autism as well as help spread awareness of what it is as well as the great and unique things people can find with it.

Links

http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2010/06/anger-and-violence-in-aspergers.html

http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/19/understanding-why-autistic-people-may-reject-social-touch/

http://www.healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/autism/parents-children-autism-spectrum/fears-anxieties-sensory-issues-and-meltdowns

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_and_working_memory

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