Autism in the Media

Post Reply New Topic

'Often times, they point to an autism diagnosis, despite the fact that autism has absolutely no link to violence. Even bringing up autism in these stories, serves no purpose, and confuses audiences into thinking it must be related.'

But what then when the perpetrator of violence uses the diagnosis as a form of defence in court? It is not the media making the link, but the defendant.

I agree that autism does not equal violence and the legal system does seem to agree when cases of autism being used as a mitigating factor rarely succeed.

It concerns me not about negativity, I'm only concerned with the truth. And sometimes, however inconvenient, the truth can be negative.

Positive stereotyping is still just stereotyping.

I have to say that 'NT' bashing, as if NTs are somehow inferior is at best a naivety born from pride or a complete lack of comprehension of their abilities.

Over the years i have become more enlightened, they do work in mysterious ways (to me) but actually they are truly gifted.

I would never make the mistake of doubting them or underestimating them, at my own peril. The ability to generalise and think strategically plus anticipate their opponent can be truly awesome.

Do any of you remember that segment on The Today Show with Kathy Lee and Hoda where she wrote this song basically reminding an Autistic boy that he sat all alone at the cafeteria table and that nobody wanted to sit with him?

I'm a borderline Aspie and there is talk of removing Aspergers Syndrome from the Autism spectrum. If that happens we'll be out there in space. I like the way Doc Martin portrays an Aspie. He chose to play the character that way and my heart goes out to that character. Wrong Planet is a comfort to me, you see I'm 75 years and wasn't diagnosed until late in life. My mother thought she was helping me by explaning that I am "odd" ( she meant different) but that was no guidance at all.

When they saw my resume at 60 years, the family were amazed at how well I've done and how I survived because I received very minimal education, and was mostly drawn to the arts. Then after forty I escaped an emotionally abusive marriage and became a diploma junkie! Everything from Freelance Journalism and Trauma Therapy to Biodynamic Horticulture. Lots of significant volunteering. I'd like a penfriend, any age, but cannot handle negative thinking, whinging or complaining. I believe we chose this life and our parents so let's get on with it. Apologies if I sound like Doc Martin All the best, Maria P

One of my nicknames growing up was "Rainman" because of the way I loved to recite a great deal of information in precise order. I didn't mind the nickname but after a while it grew tiresome. In those days Autism became associated with being "ret*d" so I fell into that group and it became a very hurtful name for me to hear all the time.

This was all before my diagnosis only 8 months ago so I didn't know what to make of my mental state at that time of my childhood.

_________________
*** High Functioning Autism - Asperger's Syndrome ***

ADHD, OCD, and PTSD.

Keep calm and stim away.

I'm not fond of how the media often tends to take a negative tone towards autism in a general manner. i'm not saying all of the media tends to be negative but, they are not always optimistic in most cases.

Some characters is suspect of being aspie on tv:

Casualty - Dr Dylan Kehoe and paramedic Ruby Spark
Doc Martin - Dr Martin

The office uk - Gareth Keenan
The office US - Dwight Shrute, Kevin Malone, Micheal Scott

Star Trek TNG - Reg Barclay

Can we not just consider that humans come in different shapes and sizes and that it doesn't make one disordered to be different from the mainsteam.

I just ask that as a species we think about it...

We have aspiring writers among us do we not? If you think the way autism is portrayed in the media can be improved then we should make our own media.

those who control the media can control elections very easily. they can chose weather or not to publicize certain people or politicians and can cut off a person if they are unfavorable for what ever that means to their biases. no longer really a part of the imagination. the internet has recently stricken Alex jones off the web severely. i know i may not be the most unbiased person around but. why would they do so. the reason they give is simple and is probably what they want one to think. when in reality the real reason was obvious but our trust in the media was as blind as faith and it went right over the heads of most. i am not for censoring nor deplatforming of any kind no matter who it is. even if they get on my bad side. all opinions count and doing such actions. gives me the image of the media being a communist party. purging those they don't like. makes me absolutely fear speaking my mind. it reminds me of a quote from a founding father "if the people fear the government it is tyranny, if the government fears the people then it is liberty". the lean much if not all of the media is bound to have is then exploited by cooperations and political parties alike who then use censoring under the name of a new station to rely on religious watching of their station to essentially get close to an indoctrination of their viewers. this is my words and no one else's i want to make it clear that my words are simply mine with barely any intention influence from outside parties but circumstances and my will. i seen people de-validate ones's argument using the you are still i child argument. that is the reason i will sometimes not take my parent's advice. it reminds me of thomas paine's "common sense" when he makes an analogy to great Britain being a mother country and the colonist until the part where he calls Britain a monster. the americans were all at one point British but they went their own way from it with various influences. inheriting age old grudges is a way of the past. moving on must mean while we not forget we must not let those past experiences close doors of the future we would otherwise desire for the sake of a democracy

if we are to have a real democracy then we need to have a real media first and not a tabloid biased controlled one. only then can the bipartisan system that the founding fathers feared would be evolved to will resolve itself. knowledge is power, those who control knowledge are indeed the most powerful. God knows what humanity may or will not know thus can be agreed in simple but proven religion. science has proven so because the pursuit of knowledge has lead to every advancement known to the homo sapien species/Humanity has ever accomplished within the last 5 thousand years. maybe that can be what defines man when god said man's age is only 5000 years old. anyway getting off topic as my critics always say. i try to connect the links as best as i can. certainly more uncertain than connecting all the links in the Legend of Zelda timeline (did that for a the pun as much as one is willing to do for a vine.)

Has anybody here seen the 1962 film, "David and Lisa?" David had an aversion to touch. He was sent to a school for "mentally disturbed" young people. Because of when the film was made, it could never have occurred to anyone that David may have been autistic, but now, in retrospect, his symptoms seem to indicate that.

I saw the movie in my local theatre when it was revived in 1965. I was 15. I had been born with high-functioning autism but neither I nor anyone else had any idea of this, and my family found my aversion to touch very annoying and even offensive. They criticized and mocked me for it, so I thought it was my fault. As I watched the movie, every time David recoiled from being touched, the audience laughed. At the very end, when he asked Lisa to take his hand, and grimaced when she did so, but still hung in there and let her do it, they laughed again. "So this is what the world thinks of people like me," I thought. It was terrible.

It only goes to show how vital it is to achieve knowledge and understanding of such matters. We need the media to continue to portray autism, and indeed any condition that makes a person not fit society's limited mold, with understanding. I'm very glad to see this happening, in Sesame Street, on stage, in movies and on TV. Onward and upward!

Higgie