The representation of protagonists on the spectrum, and particularly female, in Middle Grade children’s media is limited. Statistically, females are less often diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), with scientists in recent years exposing several explanations for autism's skewed gender ratio. It has been found social and personal factors assist in females masking or compensating for the symptoms of AS more effectively than males, juxtaposed with a gendered bias in the way the disorder is diagnosed. Such reduced rates in diagnosis are reflected in fictional representations where characters on the spectrum are predominantly male.
Literature about disabilities, or ‘inclusion literature’ (Andrews, 1998, p. 240) allows ‘young readers to progress from awareness to understanding, empathy and acceptance of diversity’. (Andrews, 1998, p. 240) Yet, commonly, AS is written as alienation in fiction - explored and interpreted as something that a character struggles with, gives in to or seeks to understand. Additionally, inclusive representations are seen to be predominantly the remit of Young Adult literature, exposing the need for fiction and media for earlier readers and audiences, such as Middle Grade and Junior Fiction. This paper seeks to conduct an alternative reading of AS, challenging assumptions of the trope as limited to the development of so-called normative characters or an exercise in exploring estrangement. Instead, here I explore the positives that stem from the conventions of the syndrome, where differences enhance rather than hinder an individual. To do so, I identify stereotypical representation of characters with AS within children’s and YA media - ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ (Haddon, 2003) and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ (Salinger, 1945) - and share my own mixed methods research toward an artefact that refutes this typical representation, through a female, Middle Grade protagonist. As individuals on the spectrum become more visible in our schools and communities, reflecting them into children’s media opens pathways for acceptance, understanding, and in particular the invitation to view the syndrome as not a disability, but an alternative ability.