Autism, Stereotypes, and Stigma: The Impact of Media Representations

In this discursive paper, we explore the impact of media representations of autistic people, including the stereotypes and stigma perpetuated by these representations. Increasingly, autistic people are featured in the mass media, including the news, entertainment and social media, suggesting opportunities to positively influence community attitudes. However, autistic people are often stereotypically represented as a plot device, laughable, possessing savant-like traits, infantilized, or patronized as intellectually impaired. Such stereotypes either glamorize or minimize the challenges encountered by autistic people, perpetuating stigma and adversely impacting the mental health and well-being of autistic people and their families. Mental health nurses can help address the impact of sensationalist, misinformed, or derogatory media representations of autistic people by maintaining a contemporary understanding of the diversity within the autistic community. Mental health nurses can influence how this topic is framed by promoting accurate representations of autistic people; and choosing to use language that empowers rather than disempowers. Additionally, mental health nurses can practice humility when supporting the autistic person and their family, and advocate for safe and productive spaces in which the autistic person can share their experiences.