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Here are my takes on Netflix's new show, #LoveOnTheSpectrum, as an #ActuallyAutistic viewer.
A thread... 1/?
#autismacceptance #neurodiversesquad #Neurodiversity #AllAutistics
A thread... 1/?
#autismacceptance #neurodiversesquad #Neurodiversity #AllAutistics
1st episode: I really like how they talk about how the ratio of boys to girls with autism is shrinking down from that often cited ratio of 4:1. They mention how this is due to our increased understanding of different presentations of autism, so A++ there!
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I also love that they touch on how empathetic autistic people can be! It is often our superpower, & we can become amazing at things like reading facial expressions & body language, even better than a typical person in some cases, due to our ability to observe/study behavior.
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I see that there is at least some representation at this point of the LGBTQ+ community, which is good. But it would also be nice to see more representation of the many trans/NB autistic people I see in our community. I'm only halfway through the 1st episode tho, so we'll see
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LOVE that they talk about how girls can be diagnosed late! This is also true for afab people, LGBT+ people, BIPOC, and people from low income or medically underserved areas.
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They are really touching on so many things that are really relevant to understanding the autistic experience: collections, special interests, bullying, sexuality, education, sensory processing, auditory processing, speech, friendship, disability.
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Best of all it's from the perspective of the autistic people themselves. This shouldn't feel so revolutionary, but it is not usual to see autistic perspectives presented so directly. I'm not really seeing much infantilising or anything like I see in some other similar shows.
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So far the perspectives of the parents & family in the show have been given minimal emphasis, & been only marginally inspo-porn-esque/ableist. I haven't seen anything damning to be sure, which is honestly a win. The parents so far do seem genuinely supportive & loving.
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That's all for now! I'll update this thread if I think of anything else, and either update this thread or maybe start a new one when I watch episode 2! Please let me know your own thoughts on this show!
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Episode 2: This show is far from perfect. There are many moments where I see the parents maybe being slightly overbearing or things that I might prefer to be stated differently. There is room to grow, to be sure. But really overall, there is so much I love about this show.
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One thing in particular I love about #LoveOnTheSpectrum are the depictions of #AutisticJoy. There are so many moments where we just get to see #ActuallyAutistic people just living & being happy & this is something so rarely depicted on television. It's not all struggle.
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But at the same time, it doesn't beat around the bush about the ways communication difficulties can really truly make dating (& life in general) hard, even when dating other neurodivergent people. This is a real experience I have all the time.
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But just because it is more difficult, doesn't mean it's impossible, & I appreciate that this show, unlike some I've seen in the past, doesn't paint autistic people as hopeless cases to pity. It just shows that there can be an added barrier to something like dating.
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But this show doesn't make this barrier seem insurmountable, or even very extraordinary. Everyone has different barriers to overcome. This is just one that we haven't paid much attention to in nonfiction entertainment in the past. I'm so happy for the representation.
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Some improvements to this show would be the inclusion of more POC & LGBTQIA+ folks. But I do appreciate that it did a decent job of showing how different the personalities -- the likes & dislikes etc -- of autistic people really are, & the vast, web-like spectrum we occupy.
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