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freneticmind
Mar '21

Awareness: This can be a tender subject and emotion-filled week for some with autism in any form, as well as people with loved ones on the spectrum.

So rather than describing only the challenges that come with autism, I’d love to hear about your OCs (main or supporting) who:

  1. Experience growth in any form,

  2. Greatly drive the plot OR

  3. Offer assistance to the other characters in any way during the story.

You’re welcome to describe anything else about them, too, including diagnosed and undiagnosed characteristics.

Even if you personally are not diagnosed with Autism but are familiar with the joys and challenges that come, thank you for including these characters in your stories year-round! Here’s an example:

My character’s name is Maddie! This story is set in the 80s, so she never received a proper diagnosis or any form of treatment other than the love and acceptance of (most of) her family. Her Granny is her best friend and like a mother to her.

Maddie cannot form words the way most do, but her favorite things to talk about in the story are food and her brother, Shane.

When Shane, the MC brings home a new friend, Maddie isn’t comfortable with the idea of sharing her brother (especially with another boy) but she quickly warms up to Zach, the other MC.

Finally, when Shane experiences a series of events leading to great heartache and confusion, Maddie is the one who ultimately pulls him from his spiral and wakes him up to reality.

Spread joy! Tell about your character(s) and provide a link so others can enjoy your novel this month! If you have character sheets or pictures, dump those, too!

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    Mar '21

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    Apr '21
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mcmx
Apr '21

This is such a sweet thread!
I wish I had seen it sooner, I personally don't have autism so I feel that if I write about it I fear that I will accidentally create misinformation about it or represent it wrong. Which is the last thing I want to do. How can someone write and include an autistic character in their comic/ novel in a respectful way that doesn't cross lines?

freneticmind
Apr '21

I think one easy way is to write based on experiences and thoughts you’ve had personally when describing a character. You don’t have to pretend to be an expert, if that makes sense.

I personally believe it’s okay to represent autism in a simple, inclusive way rather than trying to draw knowledge from a source you don’t actually have. Non-direct research is fine; a lot of people use writing TO learn more about specific groups of people, which is great, too.

Hopefully, like anything, readers will understand your underlying message and good intentions. If they don’t, oh well.

mcmx
Apr '21

Thank you, I hope to add more diverse characters in my novel for the future so this will be really helpful when I do so and yea I get what you are trying to say with the experiences and if I'm able to add an autistic character I will make sure to do my research. :blush:

14 days later
ShoresofAcadie
Apr '21

Thanks for starting this thread! Approaching this from the other side: I have a young son who was diagnosed with ASD about 2 years ago, and I'm very excited to see more complex and diverse characters with ASD depicted in fiction.

Also, if anyone is looking for inspiration to develop characters on the spectrum, let me know! Just to be clear, I am not autistic myself, nor am I an expert in the field, but I would be happy to answer questions or share anecdotal stories related to my specific experiences raising a child with ASD.

kalenight
Apr '21

I have a MC on the autistic spectrum - Gage. While I’m not autistic myself, I do have C-PTSD, which has resulted in sensory issues like misophonia, constant anxiety (especially in social situations), a range of stimming behaviours to deal with anxiety, problems with certain foods, and a need for routine, among other things. So I know what it’s like to have a brain that doesn’t function “normally”. I’ve done research to fill any gaps in my knowledge, but having said that – if you read the story and come across anything that reads as inauthentic or ignorant, please let me know!

Gage’s character is partially a response to a lot of the stereotypes about autistic people, such as being devoid of empathy (Gage would do anything for his friends), and having zero interest in sex (absolutely nothing wrong with that, but autistic ≠ asexual).

Gage is fifteen-years-old at the beginning of the story and in his first day of grade nine. He has an extensive knowledge of many subjects and could be in a higher grade, but Nana, his caretaker, wants him to be around kids his own age (and hopefully make a few friends). He connects almost immediately with child actor Tobi, who’s captivated by Gage’s enthusiasm for animals. He later befriends the class bully, Ram, who appreciates Gage’s bluntness and fondness for guns.

Gage sees a therapist at least once a week and has since the age of four. Gage was in a plane crash that killed his parents and didn’t speak for two years. Dr. Marwan helps Gage deconstruct problems and alleviate any confusion that arises over dealing with people. Dr. Marwan emphasizes he doesn’t want to change Gage, or force him to be something he’s not, only to help him cope. This was important to me, because there’s a lot of unfortunate kids who are forced into therapy and taught being autistic is something they need to hide, rather than embrace.

As Gage grows older, and life becomes more complicated, he struggles with having to keep secrets in the interest of sparing his friends from pain. But sooner or later, the truth is bound to come out.

Gage_small.jpg696x900 98.5 KB

[Art by Kokamugithu]

Techno-Danger
Apr '21

Hi!
I actually have autism myself and I've found Tapas as a real safe space to try out things I normally would never try like drawing and writing.

While I haven't officially posted my story yet, my characters are based off of myself in someways so I guess that counts as some form of autism for them? And since I do a little slice of life stuff, I guess I'm my own character overcoming my own struggles. I'm not sure, delete my comment if it's not.

Here's my comic and novel where I post random stuff about myself and OC's, please check it out!
https://tapas.io/series/Random-Ramblings-of-a-Rambler2
https://tapas.io/series/T-T