One of my favorite pastimes is watching how movies and television calibrate the inclusion of a marginalized group. The comparison of how Black characters in film came across in the 60s and 70s (often conceived with the best intentions by white filmmakers) and how we get depicted today is incredibly divergent. The process is glacial. Using the representation of Black Americans as a template, Hollywood needs first to make mistakes if they wish to iron out the wrinkles in their attempts to portray minority groups accurately.
People with autism are among the most misrepresented groups in media. Similar to how transgender characters are rarely given a place outside of gender dysphoria, so too are characters defined by their autism. Hollywood forgets that autism varies from person to person.
In the video linked above, the YouTube channel Oh Hi Films gives examples of how incorrectly the media presents autism and how to change it for the better.
