Autism & the Arts

In a world so confined by social & economic structures, there’s a strong overlap between two outlying communities: the artists, & the autists. Both of these groups face struggles existing authentically in our current mode of society: the artists put down their tools of creation to work ‘day jobs’ to pay the bills, and the autists put on a mask to evade criticism & scrutiny of their ‘different’ ways of being. As a natural result, the two are drawn together—thus, the prevalence of neurodiversity in the Arts. But do we exhibit enough awareness of this broad facet of our community, & provide the accommodations necessary for true acceptance? & with the unique position of artistry on the fringes of the status quo, are we not perfectly situated to play a key role in this movement & set an example for our neurotypical peers through communication & education, two themes the Arts already uphold?

For decades, those with neurological differences considered ‘outside’ the hypothetical norm have been erased, overlooked, & forced to adapt to a social structure unsuited to their unique dispositions—a debilitating adjustment gone widely ignored by modern society. Stereotypes perpetrated by media & a lack of research in the psychiatric industry would have us believe that neurodivergent people all behave a certain way, & are recognisable by an ‘extreme’ set of tropes (such as difficulties with verbal communication, aggressive behaviour & aversity to touch), & that neurodivergence is only valid or worth acknowledging when manifesting at these far ends of the mythical ‘functionality’ scale. But recently, a surge in awareness – brought about by factors including an increase in intersectional understanding & the social education & community-building of social media—has taught us that not only does autism diverge from these pre-conceived stereotypes, it’s not rare or particularly unusual, as our collective ignorance may have previously led us to believe. 

Naysayers will claim that people have begun self-diagnosing in masses to conform to some hip ‘trend’ courtesy of TikTok, etc. Contrary to this offensive assumption, we simply have more access to information & a wider perspective regarding diagnostic criteria. We are learning, to a previously unattainable degree, how to recognise these qualities in ourselves—an entirely valid form of diagnosis, & a first step towards the structurally & financially far-off concept of professional diagnosis, which many have valid reasons not to pursue—especially when considering the ableism so entrenched in our social structures, exhibited in our own country by the fact that immigrants with autism diagnoses are barred from being granted citizenship, to name just one example. Self-diagnosis is often the only accessible form of diagnosis, & has the power to enable individuals to accommodate & advocate for their own needs.   

The way I’ve best heard the autism spectrum described, contrary to the linear ‘high-functioning’ & ‘low-functioning’ spectrum, which simultaneously demeans those with extra difficulties & invalidates those whose struggles may be less outwardly visible, is as a colour gradient wheel. All autistic people experience different symptoms to different degrees – we’re not all antisocial, & we don’t all have some prodigious talent, but we have a combination of varying symptoms that make up a ‘pattern’ to signal the possibility of diagnosis. These symptoms can include sensitivity to sound, texture & other external stimuli, intense & consuming passions (aka ‘special interests’), emotional outbursts or declines in executive function (‘meltdowns’ & ‘shutdowns’, often in response to stress or burnout), & social differences, which I prefer to the ‘antisocial’ term as it can encompass not just introversion or non-verbal natures but also bluntness, excessive honesty, & oversharing—almost a sort of over social trait in the same category of the spectrum. 

Autism doesn’t come in one-size-fits-all, & manifests differently across varying social factors & backgrounds – something not considered by the decades of researchers focussing primarily on young white males, who often overlooked the concept of adult autism altogether (because, funnily enough, neurological conditions aren’t something that one grows out of). It’s a statistical fact (a 1:4 ratio compared to males) that autism is underdiagnosed in women—or misdiagnosed as anxiety, a personal pet peeve of mine—& also lacks representation in POC communities. I hope this will change in the coming years as the community continues to grow, educate & gain autonomy.

The simple truth is autistic people are everywhere – the current statistic in America is 1 in 36 children, which is only set to increase as the stigma & stereotypes continue to be overcome & more adults seek a diagnosis. “But that’s normal!” my mother declares as I educate her on the abovementioned symptoms. Exactly. It’s normal. Autism is a perfectly regular aspect of our diverse humanity; we’ve just been led to believe that it’s somehow unusual, uncommon, a drastic incarnation of otherness. Why? Here’s my theory: capitalism. What do neurodivergent traits across the spectrum have in common: sensitivity, outbursts, time-blindness, social differences, and the need for accommodations? They’re not conducive to being a cog in the wheel. There is nothing wrong with the shape of us: we do not fit the prescribed machine. 

Autistic people like to know why, & they often have a deep-felt passion for social justice. & thus, when asking why the world is the way it is, why profit is so often prioritised over people & passion, and why we must exhaust ourselves for an inauthentic lifestyle, in what world would those answers we’re dismissively given make sense? & why would we, so frequently ostracised by the society that has othered us, other ourselves to be a mismatched part of a picture in which we see no sense, logic, or beauty?

I believe that the capitalists, the status-quo maintainers of the world, needed a definition, a box to shut away these outliers of the 20th-century industrialisation that’s evolved into our current scourge of late-stage capitalism. ‘Autism’ as a diagnosis didn’t exist in the 1800s & earlier – the first case being in 1938, the subject of which is still alive today—although ‘autism’ as a neurological make-up certainly did. It was just that then, being sensitive, introverted, and different had nothing against which to be declared ‘defunct’. The othering of autism is, in my autistically sensationalised perspective, a capitalist scam to confine us to a category in which we can be infantilised, excluded & clearly labelled as a glitch in the economic structure of the mindless 40-hour work week – while simultaneously gatekeeping the process of diagnosis, all to prevent the system being questioned rather than the people. 

Thus, these individuals pushed to the outskirts of society find their own communities, which only continue to grow with the increasing awareness & rate of diagnoses. Some pre-established communities are already anti-capitalist in nature, already open-armed for the outliers, for those who experience the world a little differently & so the autists often gravitate naturally towards the Arts. 

Autism & the Arts go hand-in-hand: what better haven for those with heightened sensitives, unique perceptions & consuming passions? Here, individuality & creative ways of looking at the world are valued instead of shut down, & everything is simultaneously subjective & true. There is no right & wrong in the Arts, only expression, only a form of communication that may be preferable to those who struggle with the usual methods. Here in art is an answer to ostracisation, & all the questions we cannot help but ask—even without an answer, those questions have value, & can touch the minds of those with whom we share a common thread: a form of connection through which art creates not just a social community, but a spiritual one. 

We are not alone here, even in the most isolating creative methods. Our creation is specifically ours, an inherent truth that need not conform to any dictated structures and a doorway through which to share, to build kinships, & to be validated in the very way of being that has been previously determined an oddity. Here, the odd finds profundity, & the individual not just acceptance but celebration. 

Due to this frequent alignment of the Arts & autistic communities, I think what better facet of society to accommodate autism & facilitate acceptance? How do we do that? Firstly, by educating ourselves on the myriad manifestations of the condition, & learning to both recognise & normalise it in those around us – or maybe even in ourselves! – & secondly, finding ways to accommodate their unique needs. The Arts can be an extremely demanding lifestyle, from the focus necessary for productive written or visual art to the socially intricate teamwork of the performing arts, the overstimulation of the music scene, and the simply demanding schedules that can so often plunge us into burnout. 

Helping the invisibly disabled navigate these frequently overwhelming complications can sometimes be as simple as asking them what they need: be it earplugs or other noise-protectors, a safe place with calming sensory stimulations like stim toys to centre oneself, an isolated work environment to aid focus or a social network in which to bounce around ideas & access support. Artists in authoritative roles, such as direction or choreography, should also practice direct communication to ensure clarity & ease of understanding, & patience should any mistranslations happen. There are so many ways to accommodate these frequently invalidated disabilities; sometimes, it’s just about asking questions, holding space & being creative, something the Arts community certainly knows how to do. 

Empathy is inherent in the Arts, & that’s exactly what we need to accommodate the neurodivergent community. Understanding & acceptance are essential because autistic people are all around us in the creative world & are valuable, prevalent members of our community, a community in which they’ve found an oft-needed safe haven from the rejection of mainstream society. Here, we should offer them the visibility that they’ve been historically denied, educating ourselves enough to provide a safe, informed environment in which they no longer have to wear a mask – because although we’re artists, that art should stem from sincerity, not the necessity of performance for survival. Autistic people are everywhere; they are taking to the stage, raising their voices, and articulating their own autonomy: & what better place to be uplifted in this than the Arts?

Autism & the Arts was previously published on The Big Idea