Autistic representation: Atypical and Heartbreak High

Words by Teddi (they/he/she)

Autistic representation in the media is starting to become more normalised and we love to see it. Not all of it is great representation, but it is designed to strike a chord with viewers and help them to connect with the media. 

Sam (played by Keir Gilchrist), the central character in Atypical, is autistic, and some of his traits are recognisable even to those who are nuerotypical, such as the headphones Sam wears to soften noises. But, some of Sam’s actions show there was not a good understanding of autism by the writers and producers. Some of his behaviours weren’t autistic, they were abusive. At one point, Sam locks his girlfriend in a closet, and they both play it off as being fine since he is autistic. 

Sam’s whole character is built around being autistic, rather than being a multifaceted person. The lives of his family are where most of the plot actually happens. Atypical has great LGBTQIA+ representation, with non-binary actor Brigette Lundy-Paine playing Sam’s sister, Casey, who leads her own queer coming-of-age storyline. Sam and Casey show that siblings are siblings, regardless of disability. But overall, Atypical is not what I reach for when I want to show people what good autistic representation is.

Where Atypical faltered in autism representation, Heartbreak High did their autistic character, Quinni (played by Chloé Hayden) justice. Chloé was very vocal about her input into Quinni’s character, and that the casting director specifically looked for an actor that was diagnosed with autism so they could create an accurate portrayal. 

Quinni wasn’t introduced straight away as being autistic. It wasn’t hidden, but it wasn’t the only thing about her character that the audience needed to know to understand her. This contributed to visibility for people who live without a diagnosis: it doesn’t mean a person is any less autistic. 

In her character’s focal episode, there were details I had never seen portrayed on TV  before. Everyone who is autistic is their own person, and individual autism presents differently, so I had never really been bothered by the lack of representation. But when I saw someone that, like me, had a daily list for morning routine and full-day schedule, I nearly cried. I know my routine, yes, but checking it is part of the reliability of the routine. It made me feel like there are others out there that are the same as me. I’ve been mocked by many for little things that make my life easier, so to see I’m not alone in doing these things was really nice.

One thing that was groundbreaking in Heartbreak High was the visibility of mutism. Going non-verbal can be common for people with autism when overstimulated, tired, or triggered. Quinni’s dads and her friends had care and understanding when this happened. It really hit me hard when Quinni’s friends weren’t trying to force her to talk and respected her space, as someone who has dealt with the opposite of understanding when non-verbal. The characters close to her had a beautiful level of acceptance of Quinni, and they helped others around her learn to understand and let her be herself.