Atypical or Stereotypical?
Autistic individuals grapple with feeling lonely and misunderstood, so they turn to their screens to seek representation and validation. However, many popular TV shows and movies with autistic representation do a poor job of depicting the autistic experience and making people feel seen.
Atypical is a Netflix original that ran for 4 seasons, being the only fictional show currently on Netflix with a protagonist who is confirmed to be autistic. The reason I use this wording is because other characters have been speculated to be autistic, though it’s never been confirmed; take Beth from The Queen’s Gambit, for example.
Many applaud Atypical for its inclusivity and representation, seen through its stellar 90% Rotten Tomatoes and 8.2/10 IMDb ratings. Yet many of these reviews must be coming from neurotypical people, as neurodiverse people have spoken out through mediums such as the r/autism subreddit to express their dissatisfaction with this show.
Reddit users comment that the producers "could have called it Stereotypical instead of Atypical" and “It’s a good representation of autism as seen through a neurotypical’s eyes. It’s not a good representation of an autistic person, though”. One glaring issue is that a neurotypical actor plays Sam, the autistic main character. In fact, the show was created by neurotypicals. Therefore, the actor has no idea what the actual autistic experience is like, so his portrayal of it has no choice but to fall short. Autistic actors did audition for the role of Sam, but the role ultimately went to the non-autistic Keir Gilchrist because he was “best for the role”. How could he be best for the role if he’s not even autistic?
Something else that many show creators seem to misunderstand is that autism is an “invisible” condition. This means that when you look at an autistic person, you cannot immediately recognize that they are autistic. In Atypical, Sam is a composite of every autistic trait imaginable, essentially rendering him to be an autistic caricature. In reality, people you meet in real life never exhibit these traits so obviously 24/7.
Another qualm that people have with the show is how it depicts autism as a burden or challenge for the family. Autism is not some debilitating condition that ruins your life. Autism is a powerful, important part of one’s identity, and it's something that should be embraced and celebrated. Using the strengths-based model of neurodiversity, just because neurodivergent people are a minority and display cognitive and behavioral differences from the statistical majority, this does not imply disease or deficit. Autistic individuals possess many strengths, like attention to detail, deep focus, observational skills, authenticity, and creativity. Many argue that Atypical does not adequately portray these strengths.
However, others on the spectrum think that the show is a wonderful portrayal of autistic people with higher support needs. One Reddit user says, “Everybody says that he’s ‘stereotypical’ with all autistic characteristics but forget that there are IRL autistics exactly like this character, especially males. Those on the lower support side always push for more invisible autism but it often feels like those with higher support needs get erased.” Some defend the idea that the struggles of having autism should be shown as well. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Having autism can be hard at times, especially when dealing with the stigma that society casts on you.
Ultimately, there will always be mixed feedback on any creative endeavor. Some people love Atypical and feel represented, while others don’t at all. The question is, which is worse: poor representation or no representation at all?
