Are you or your children looking for a film or television show with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) representation? Fortunately, audiences have a lot more to choose from nowadays. The following are a list of movies and TV shows your child can watch and see themself represented on the screen.
Julia – Sesame Street (rating TV-Y)
Though Sesame Street initially debuted in 1969, it wasn’t until 2015 that audiences saw the show’s first character with ASD. Julia was first introduced as part of the show’s “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children” initiative, which depicted a cartoon version of Julia in a digital storybook with Elmo and friends.
Leslie Kimmelman, author of the storybook and former Senior Editor of Sesame Street Magazine, created Julia from her experiences as a parent of a child with ASD, as well as using research and input from the ASD community. Julia’s reception was overwhelmingly positive, and she later debuted as a puppet in episode 4715 of the show in 2017.
Her debut episode centers on Big Bird being introduced to Julia, and he fears she doesn’t like him based on her lack of response when introduced. Big Bird is informed that Julia has ASD, meaning she may do things a bit differently – “She does things in a Julia kind of way. She may not act as you expect her to.”
Julia has continued to appear as a reoccurring character. In 2018, she joined the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade wearing noise-cancelling headphones, which are often dawned by those with ASD to avoid sensory overload from loud noises.
Wendy – Please Stand By (rating PG13)
Please Stand By is a comedy-drama film about a young woman named Wendy with ASD. Wendy, who lives in a group home and whose fixation on Star Trek leads her to write a 427-page script, wishes to enter it in a $100,000 screenwriting contest. After missing the mail-in submission deadline, she decides to submit her script in-person and runs away from her caregivers. Though she does not win the contest, Wendy is proud of her accomplishment and how she is more capable than others think she is.
Wendy is portrayed by actress Dakota Fanning, who explained, “I think what I’ve learned about autism first and foremost was that every person’s experience with autism is different… As an actor I felt the freedom to create Wendy… I didn’t want to further stereotypes and I wanted to really portray her as I would portray any young woman.”
Bruno the Brake Car – Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (rating TV-Y)
Bruno is a character who was introduced in 2022 on Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go, an animated TV show reboot of the original long-running series. He is the series’ first neurodivergent character and was voiced by Elliot Garcia, who also has ASD in real life.
Bruno exhibits some common traits of those with ASD, including a version of hand flapping when he feels a strong emotion. The number on the side of his train car is #43, a reference to the year 1943, the year ASD was first identified.
Eva Erickson – Survivor (TV-PG)
For a show like Survivor that has been airing for nearly 50 seasons, Eva Erickson from season 48 is the show’s first contestant to be open about having an ASD diagnosis.
Erickson was candid about how her ASD gave her certain strengths in the game of Survivor, while also showcasing some unique hardships she faced. She explained during the season premiere, “Weaknesses, for sure, are social cues… I don’t know when someone’s lying to me. I’m a very direct person and I expect others to be direct with me, and they’re not going to be in this game.”
An emotional moment during the show was when she solidified a strong allyship with fellow contestant Joe Del Campo, who was the first person she initially shared her ASD diagnosis with, out of fear of others taking advantage of her situation. She was able to break down the help she would need if she were to become overstimulated, which Del Campo was more than willing to do for her, and which came to fruition in episode 5.
Erickson later explained, “It was a big thing for me to be open and vulnerable in this experience, and I think it is a different portrayal of autism than most people are used to seeing. I am so proud of myself for going out there, making a point and sharing my story.” Erickson also revealed to her fellow contestants on the final day of the game that she is a Ph.D. candidate in engineering and fluid and thermal science at Brown University, and that she plays on the men’s club ice hockey team as team captain.
Maxim Behavioral
Representation in media matters. Seeing characters with ASD portrayed in authentic and empowering ways can help individuals feel understood and valued. At Maxim Behavioral, we believe that representation goes beyond the screen; it starts at home and in the community. Our team helps families by providing individualized behavioral support.
