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ok so, here it is! a thread of resources and tips for writing autistic characters. please check these out if you're making characters autistic in your fics, especially to avoid ableist stereotypes!
first: the tips! the most important thing to remember is that it's not a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. every autistic person is different and in order to write an autistic character, you need to think about their traits and how to express them in your writing.
don't infantilize autistic characters! autistic adults should not be treated or portrayed like children. even if it's fiction, this is a very harmful portrayal & contributes to the dehumanization of autistic people. just...don't do it.
avoid portraying them as cold or emotionless. many autistic people will express their emotions differently or show their love in ways that neurotypicals may not understand, but the emotions and love are still there. even if they're expressed differently.
maybe avoid making autistic characters robots or aliens--especially if you're allistic. there are ways to do this right but it's so easy to get wrong and doing this badly is yet another way that fiction dehumanizes autistic people.
use identity first language! this would be saying "autistic person" instead of "person with autism." it's a consensus among the autistic community that identity first language is the best one to use, and most people who use person first language are actually neurotypical.
give your autistic characters romantic relationships! just like everyone else, autistic people fall in love, get married, have sex, all of that. and there's a lack of media that shows autistic people in romantic relationships, too.
give your characters special interests! if they aren't canonically described as autistic, think about what interests they have that could fall under that category (and try to research what it's like to have a special interest if you don't)
give your characters stims! these are basically any sort of sensory input that feels pleasurable or calming. it can be movement, touching something that feels good, or any number of other things! this is also a good thing to include if you're writing a character with adhd
show sensory overload. it's a common thing and can be a result of a bunch of different things. it could be from being in a crowded place, touching a bad texture, anything like that. research helps make this convincing but in short, it makes every sensation feel overwhelming
get your information from actual autistic people! not their friends, parents, or anyone like that. resources on autism tend to be very inaccurate when they're created by neurotypicals. and in the end, autistic people understand themselves best.
if you can't hire a sensitivity reader, try to at least talk to an autistic person. this is easier said than done, but you can often find someone who can help and it's the best way to make sure your writing is believable, authentic, and not using any harmful stereotypes
now for the resources! this page, and many others on this website, are great! unlike autism speaks, the autistic self-advocacy network is by autistic people, for autistic people. and they have a lot of really helpful info for neurotypical allies :-) https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/about-autism/
script autistic is a great blog that answers questions about writing autistic characters! their ask box closes when they have a lot of asks to deal with, but even if you can't send in your own question they already have a ton of info on there https://scriptautistic.tumblr.com/
this blog writes a ton about autism issues and their info comes from actual autistic people :-)
http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/
http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/
the blog of an autistic teenager! it has info on a lot of different things https://www.thejourneythroughautism.com/blog
if you've gotten this far, thanks for reading this! if you have any other questions feel free to drop me a question or dm. and for my fellow mdzs fic writers: if you have any character-specific ideas or questions, i'd love to hear them!
