Be honest

[Babyeeblu19]

Firstly I should introduce myself. I am a 26 year old mom of two. I myself am not on the spectrum and I honestly dont have much exposure to many on the spectrum aside from my distant cousin and a few friends growing up. I really would like to know more and be better educated moving forward, and where better to learn than from people from that community.

I must confess that I have another motive for joining. I am a "writer", though I am hesitant to use that word as I haven't written anything yet and haven't done any such writing since high school. I am in the process of working on a science fiction novel and have a quandry. I had planned to include a character in my novel that is on the spectrum. In discussing this with a writing forum, someone asked the question of whether the character even needed to be on the spectrum. It got me thinking. I felt like the only people who could answer that question were those in the community that would actually be impacted by such a character. So, I am here to ask you.

The character in question is not the main character but is still very much present throughout the story. He has a strong emotional impact on the central group of characters. He is the main factor in their sense of family and loyalty.

Is that the kind of character you would like to see portrayed as being on the spectrum? I know that fiction can sometimes be an exaggerated depiction and that would not be my goal. If I went forward with it, I would want to know what aspects of autism and apsergers you felt were important to highlight in the character to make it a real representation of the community. I really just want your thoughts and feedback, because I dont in any way want to be disrespectful, uneducated, insensitive, or misrepresent your community. I am open to any and all feedback.

Really looking forward to gaining some insight and hearing from you.

 

[tree]

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

Just don't use the awful "savant" or "next stage in evolution" tropes that are so common when representing ASD people in sci-fi.

 

[Thinx]

Hi and welcome. Nice idea, but from you've said, you don't currently know much about how such a character might feel and think? Its fine to write about any sort of character if you do some thorough research, or have a lot of experience around the persons you want to portray, otherwise you will not be able to write a good character, I guess.

You really need some in depth ideas to do this well, so read around the threads here, look at resources and also read elsewhere, if you hope to avoid stereotypes. My main advice also, would be to try to understand the internal experience of such a character, and as many of us actually never got diagnosed or realised what was different until late in life, that's not so easy to do.

@Pats recently wrote an interesting account of the potential inner experience of a person, we are not all the same of course, but you may find it illuminating to read. It's in her most recent thread.

 

[Babyeeblu19]

Hi and welcome. Nice idea, but from you've said, you don't currently know much about how such a character might feel and think? Its fine to write about any sort of character if you do some thorough research, or have a lot of experience around the persons you want to portray, otherwise you will not be able to write a good character, I guess.

You really need some in depth ideas to do this well, so read around the threads here, look at resources and also read elsewhere, if you hope to avoid stereotypes. My main advice also, would be to try to understand the internal experience of such a character, and as many of us actually never got diagnosed or realised what was different until late in life, that's not so easy to do.

@Pats recently wrote an interesting account of the potential inner experience of a person, we are not all the same of course, but you may find it illuminating to read. It's in her most recent thread.

I wouldnt dare write anything without doing some further research. Im mainly just trying to decide right now if that is the best direction to go, or if it would end up being a poor representation and maybe I should change the focus. As NothingToSeeHere stated im not in it to do another stereotype. I know there is no one size fits all to this approach. Maybe a better question might be: what are the more subtle things about autism that often get overlooked? Or the smaller struggles that arent well represented in fiction/media? How does it change one's perspective of the world? Im totally open to hearing personal perspectives if people are willing to share.

 

[clg114]

Welcome to Autism Forums!

 

[Nervous Rex]

My advice: Remember that not only is Autism a spectrum, but each individual trait is a spectrum.

A person can have no social anxiety, debilitating social anxiety, or anything in between.
They can have interests, specialties, or extreme obsessions.
They can be very self-aware - aware of how others behave or completely oblivious of how different their behavior is from "normal."
A person may have certain natural interests or skills, or not have any.
They can be very good at expressing emotions, bad at it, or they may act out in ways that confuse even them, because they don't understand their own emotions.

I have only listed a few examples. There are many, many more.

It is only when a certain number of traits each pass a certain threshold of severity, that a person is considered Autistic.

So, I would tell you to flesh out your character with whatever you need to make a believable character that your readers can empathize with. Give them the traits you need for the story. Then, decide if that makes the character autistic.

 

[Tom]

Just a random authentic detailI: if it's the kind of story with aliens or monsters that eat your brains, you could mention autistic brains are tastier.

 

[Babyeeblu19]

Just a random authentic detailI: f it's the kind of story with aliens or monsters that eat your brains, you could mention autistic brains are tastier.

Haha That would be an interesting take. Alas it is more along the lines of peaceful coexistence.

 

[Tom]

I've tried some story writing using Aspies as characters, but find it hard in general to write any character, NT or Aspie from scratch. I only seemed to get decent/authentic characterizations when I modeled them off people I knew very well and who's voice so-to-speak was already imbedded in my head.

 

[Jeremiah]

Just a random authentic detailI: if it's the kind of story with aliens or monsters that eat your brains, you could mention autistic brains are tastier.

More likely have a different texture.

Though I wonder, in scifi/fantasy-setting, would autistic brain be more resistant or vulnerable to mind control?

 

[Tom]

More likely have a different texture.

Though I wonder, in scifi/fantasy-setting, would autistic brain be more resistant or vulnerable to mind control?

That's a good question, and I'd like to think we'd be more resistant because our brain patterns are too erratic. But when they come, I do suggest wearing the proper protective equipment as a precaution. And don't forget to bring a tire. For a swing in the resistance camp.

 

[Isadoorian]

Welcome to the Forums! I hope you make new friends and enjoy your stay in the process!

 

[AnnadinNoliman]

Hi! I'm actually a writer that almost exclusively writes autistic characters so here's my thoughts!
Firstly, it's amazing you wanna include a character on the spectrum! I think it's probably easier than you'd expect. Because it is a SPECTRUM, you've probably met more autistic people than you've even realized! That's why a lot of neurotypical writers can write really good autistic characters without even realizing they're autistic, they're drawing from real people they know that very quite possibly are ON the spectrum.
However when neurotypical people try writing autistic characters with the intent of them being autistic they sometimes do a lot of annoying things I'll try and outline for you.
Firstly there's the savant tropes and the like, we're not super geniuses and it's kind of annoying media acts like we're only useful because we're smart. Most of us aren't any smarter than anyone else, we're just different.
Then there's the whole Pinocchio "I wanna be a real boy" situation. Acting like autism is this curse we wish would be lifted from us so we could go participate in the real world. It's just not like that, sometimes we wish we were different from how we are, but for a lot of us we're comfortable with how we are. It's how we are! Everyone has things they'd like to change about themselves, but it's not most people's whole identity. Something that often goes with that is autism being our entire story. But it's not! We're people just like you with aspirations and interests and everything!
Then the emotionless robot stereotype I just can't stand. We lack empathy, we're cruel to others and feel absolutely no shame about it. I'm sometimes unintentionally rude to people and when I'm told about it?? I feel terrible. We have emotions, we often feel them quite strongly! The differences come in with how we communicate said emotions. Which varies from person to person, but I've found with autistic people it can vary quite dramatically. That's part of the fun with us really, is finding out the language we use to show how we're feeling.
And I think the weirdest thing is sometimes writers seem to think all autistic people are the same. If they've written one then every other one they write has similar symptoms, similar speech patterns, similar mannerisms. I think Nervous Rex put it best, every trait is on a spectrum. Most of us are wildly different from each other!
Last words of advice here is to firstly make them a realistic character. I liked what Nervous Rex said as well, first write a character. Include traits that feel real to you, ones you think you could write about. If you have obsessive interests, give them a special interest! If you're anxious in social situations, make them anxious in social situations! You don't have to reinvent the wheel here, remember we're not aliens. Especially if the story isn't focused on them, you don't have to go into every detail about their mind, you can have them on the side being casually autistic. You know what those kinds of people are like! I believe in you!
Sorry if this is long I've thought about this a loootttttt, hope this made sense and good luck!

 

[Crossbreed]

Hello & welcome.

I felt like the only people who could answer that question were those in the community that would actually be impacted by such a character. So, I am here to ask you.

The character in question is not the main character but is still very much present throughout the story. He has a strong emotional impact on the central group of characters. He is the main factor in their sense of family and loyalty.

Is that the kind of character you would like to see portrayed as being on the spectrum? I know that fiction can sometimes be an exaggerated depiction and that would not be my goal. If I went forward with it, I would want to know what aspects of autism and apsergers you felt were important to highlight in the character to make it a real representation of the community. I really just want your thoughts and feedback, because I dont in any way want to be disrespectful, uneducated, insensitive, or misrepresent your community. I am open to any and all feedback.

Here are some things to think about.

1. Everyone on the autism spectrum has a measurable delay in social development. That is our only defining trait.
2. Beginning with the Millennials among us, there has been a notable increase in pronounced to severe co-morbid conditions. It is those that are the actual disability. They are common to autism, but not required for diagnosis. See Autlanders, Thriving Outside of the Box: Autism Subtypes...
   
3. Autism without pronounced co-morbid conditions is not a disability. It is an expression of neuro-diversity; that is, it is an alternate, healthy, viable neurology, even if less common. Quirky? Nerdy? Geeky? Yes, but still competent. Without intellectual giftedness, these are the experts in niche fields.
4. Neuro-diversity also includes the intellectually gifted. Someone who has both is known as twice-exceptional (or 2e).
5. Ten percent of autistics are gifted. Some higher percentage of gifteds are autistic.
6. Ten percent of autistics are savants. Ninety percent of savants are autistic.
7. Neuro-diverse people (in both camps), are known for their loyalty to those that they care about, but (to the untrained eye) we appear to be "deadpan." (The unconventional display of emotions is part of our social delay.)
8. High-functioning autistic women are harder to spot (than men) because they tend to be better at "masking."

 

[Crossbreed]

"The Absent-Minded Professor" would be the stereotype before Aspergers/ASD1 was an available diagnosis.

Trailer (1961)

 

[Crossbreed]

...you could mention autistic brains are tastier.

But they're an ACQUIRED taste...

 

[Alexej]

But they're an ACQUIRED taste...

THe question is "How do acquire them to get the taste"

 

[Lymle]

Seeing as so many in this world are still very much in the dark about us, other than their preconceived or otherwise inaccurate notions, I'd love to see more truth emerge.

After all, what better way is there than books or movies to reach & inform the most people?
The average human isn't going to suddenly gain an interest in scientific research material on a thing there not themselves a part of personally, which is the best shot they would have at gaining a more truthfull insight.
Which even that is sketchy at best in its attempt to put all the many different aspects into a neat little list.

We are all extremely unique in the numerous variables of the spectrum we possess, so it must be done right, lest it fall into the same and often downright vulgar & degrading classification portrayed by most current media.

I know you want to do it right, so it'll require a decent degree of continued understanding on the part of any who would seek to accurately represent us astounding peeps.

So go ahead & dig in to the vast array of information here produced by genuine spectrum'rs in our element. But don't stop there. Talk to us, ask us & be amongst us...& I think you'll be surprised at the contrast to the aforementioned so-not- true publically accepted paradigms.

I & most here would be honored by any writing you might create that sheds non filtered light on us & dispels the gloom of ignorance that we have endured by the masses for so long.

Good luck & may the spectrum be with you!

(I can't stand Star Trek, but it fit) lol

 

[Nitro]

That's a good question, and I'd like to think we'd be more resistant because our brain patterns are too erratic. But when they come, I do suggest wearing the proper protective equipment as a precaution. And don't forget to bring a tire. For a swing in the resistance camp.

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