Shifting stigma about autistic young people

Abstract

First paragraph: Who do you think of when you hear “autism” mentioned? Maybe a familiar trope comes to mind: an eccentric white male, perhaps in the vein of The Big Bang Theory’s socially naïve genius Dr Sheldon Cooper, or savant Raymond Babbitt of Rainman fame. Endearing though they may be, characters like these reflect outdated and stereotypical understandings of autism that can have harmful consequences for autistic young people. Indeed, for many autistic people, these stereotypes and the stigma that they reinforce may be a greater barrier to wellbeing than the characteristics of autism itself.