En Empirisk Studie av Autisme på Film og TV

Abstract

There has been a rise of character portrayals of persons with Autism or autistic traits in TV and film. In this quantitative study we analyse 26 films and TV-shows with characters with Autistic traits and how these relate to diagnostic criteria in DSM-5. Out of all 26 portrayals, 20 showed at least 10 of all 12 symptom items. Our main findings indicate that portrayals, although aligning closely to diagnostic criteria, run the risk of upholding and increasing stereotypes about the highly complex disorder. Researchers, clinicians and practitioners with knowledge of the disorder have a responsibility to nuance public understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders.