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childrensillustrationgarp · 4 years

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Interview

I conducted an interview with Hannah, aged 19. who was diagnosed with Autism and bipolar disorder in regards to what types of children’s media she had when she was younger and her opinions on the current situation of children’s media. How does your condition affect you?

It mostly affects me in social environments and in public. I wouldn't say there is much good about it because if anything it just has made it harder to understand people's facial expressions and sarcasm unless I know them well. It can be hard to interpret the meanings and intent of others. I'm always open to people about my condition since being diagnosed because I do struggle with self expression sometimes and how I phrase things, and I don't want to offend anyone. Like, it's never my intention, but it can still happen. The best thing for people around me to do is just be clear and honest with me, especially if I've done wrong, so I can remedy the situation as soon as possible. The worst thing about being on the autism spectrum in my experience is struggling with sensory overload. If I'm in a new environment that's too bright, loud or crowded, it can trigger me to have a panic attack. This is a result of being overwhelmed by new or unusual surroundings.

What type of books did you read (if any) when you were younger?

Definitely short, child-oriented books. I have an extremely short attention span, so I read comic books way more than novels. It's not that I don't like reading, but I do lose interest quickly if the story drags, or is written with intricate adjectives describing everything about each room / area, even if it's of no relevance to the plot.

What type of TV shows did you watch (if any) when you were younger?

Cartoons, which I still love now. I liked Disney shows too like Hannah Montana and iCarly, but newer similar shows don't pique my interest anywhere near as much. I was always drawn to cartoons with odd art styles, as they really appealed to me, Cow and Chicken / Courage the Cowardly Dog being examples. They were short and always captured my attention for the whole episode.

Did you think any of these shows or books helped shape who you are today?

Definitely yes, I am still into comic books and have taken a lot of inspiration from characters' clothes, hair and makeup to establish my own style.

What kind of things do you do to help with your condition on a bad day?

The key to helping myself when I'm struggling is making sure I'm in an area where I feel safe, and have plenty of things to distract myself with, and focus on, whether it's a blanket and a notebook/ colouring book, etc. As long as I have something to focus on in that time, I can come out of it feeling better than before. If there aren't any distractions I just kind of get stuck there in that negative mindset. Even going for a walk and listening to music can help, as long as I feel safe doing it.

Do you think there is a lack of catering for children with learning disabilities in the media?

Most definitely. Something I despise is the trope of if there is an openly autistic character in a TV show, they have to be really intelligent and well-educated in many different fields. Some may argue it is 'positive', but I disagree. It reinforces the idea of autistic people being worthless unless they excel in a certain field of knowledge, or possess a certain talent. Some people haven't discovered their talents yet, or found a hobby / interest that they will have for life, and that's okay. People who struggle more with learning who are on the autism spectrum can take a lot longer to process and learn about different things, so this stereotype is actually harmful. I also take issue with shows such as Atypical (Netflix) that try to shove a million autistic traits into one character. It's not realistic, or good representation.

What would you recommend children’s media (books, TV, games) do to cater to children with learning disabilities? We should have a more diverse representation of canon autistic characters, from different backgrounds, with different interests, talents, hobbies, etc. We need recognition that doing every day things can be harder for us than other people, but we can still do them with enough practice. We don't have to be extremely brainy or outstandingly talented in order to be valued. We should be represented the same as neurotypical characters; we just struggle in areas that neurotypical people may not, and this should be highlighted, but not in a demeaning way. I think positive but realistic representation of autistic people would be amazing to see in the general media, especially for autistic children! They won't grow up with a negative image of themselves, or feel inadequate due to their struggles in areas the serialised versions of them do not face.

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