Autism, a neuro-developmental disability, has received wide but often sensationalistic treatment in the popular media. A great deal of clinical and medical research has been devoted to autism, but the traditional humanities disciplines and the new field of Disability Studies have yet to explore it. This volume, the first scholarly book on autism in the humanities, brings scholars from several disciplines together with adults on the autism spectrum to investigate the diverse ways that autism has been represented in novels, poems, autobiographies, films, and clinical discourses, and to explore the connections and demarcations between autistic and "neurotypical" creativity. Using an empathetic scholarship that unites professional rigor with experiential knowledge derived from the contributors' lives with or as autistic people, the essays address such questions as: In what novel forms does autistic creativity appear, and what unusual strengths does it possess? How do autistic representations--whether by or about autistic people--revise conventional ideas of cognition, creativity, language, (dis)ability and sociability? This timely and important collection breaks new ground in literary and film criticism, aesthetics, psychology, and Disability Studies.

This volume, the first scholarly book on autism and the humanities, brings scholars from several different disciplines together with adults on the autism spectrum to investigate the diverse ways that autism has been represented in novels, poems, autobiographies, films and clinical discourses, and to explore the connections and demarcations between autistic and "normal" creative expression.

Autistic-Coded Representation and Autism Stereotypes: Looking for the Spectrum takes a fresh approach to examining autism representation in literature, film, and television by looking particularly at characters who are not directly identified as falling on the Autism Spectrum. As autism becomes an increasingly popular topic to explore in literature and visual media, it is important that representations present people with autism as real humans with complex interior lives. Too often autistic characters fall into broad stereotypes – victims, villains, fools, or heroes – and autism emerges as the defining aspect of their personality. This book looks at autistic-coded characters, both classic and contemporary, to examine the benefits of looking for the spectrum in characters not explicitly labeled. Autistic audiences see a diverse and fully fleshed representation of themselves and neurotypical audiences gain a greater understanding of ASD though exposure to characters who defy stereotypes.

A disorder that is only just beginning to find a place in disability studies and activism, autism remains in large part a mystery, giving rise to both fear and fascination. Sonya Freeman Loftis's groundbreaking study examines literary representations of autism or autistic behavior to discover what impact they have had on cultural stereotypes, autistic culture, and the identity politics of autism. Imagining Autism looks at fictional characters (and an author or two) widely understood as autistic, ranging from Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Harper Lee's Boo Radley to Mark Haddon's boy detective Christopher Boone and Steig Larsson's Lisbeth Salander. The silent figure trapped inside himself, the savant made famous by his other-worldly intellect, the brilliant detective linked to the criminal mastermind by their common neurology—these characters become protean symbols, stand-ins for the chaotic forces of inspiration, contagion, and disorder. They are also part of the imagined lives of the autistic, argues Loftis, sometimes for good, sometimes threatening to undermine self-identity and the activism of the autistic community.

The Fourth Edition of the Disability Studies Reader breaks new ground by emphasizing the global, transgender, homonational, and posthuman conceptions of disability. Including physical disabilities, but exploring issues around pain, mental disability, and invisible disabilities, this edition explores more varieties of bodily and mental experience. New histories of the legal, social, and cultural give a broader picture of disability than ever before. Now available for the first time in eBook format 978-0-203-07788-7.

More than 1 billion people worldwide have a disability, and they are all affected by politics. This two-volume work explores key topics at the heart of disability policy, such as voting, race, gender, age, health care, social security, transportation, abuse, and the environment. Disability policy is no longer an area that can be adequately addressed within major areas of public policy such as welfare, health, labor, and education. Disability has become widely acknowledged in recent decades, partly because of the increasing number of disabled citizens across all demographic populations. Advocates argue that diversity of all kinds deserves recognition and accommodation. This set examines policies targeting disability to provide a multifaceted description of the political participation of people with disabilities as well as disability policy development in the United States. The first volume focuses on political participation and voting issues, and the second volume covers disability public policy. In these two volumes, numerous scholars and experts in the social sciences and humanities explore timely topics that are key to disability policy questions, including activism, voting, race, gender, age, health care, social security, civil rights, abuse, the environment, and even death. Readers will better understand the challenges that policymakers face in grappling with controversies over issues of social engineering and public policy, often attempting to reconcile majority experience with minority rights. The chapters analyze the history of disability politics, describe the disability policy infrastructure as it currently exists in the United States, and provide insight into current disability-related controversies.

This title is intended for advanced undergraduate and masters level students in psychology; professional clinical, developmental and educational psychologists; general practitioners and others with a special interest in children; careworkers; and parents of autistic children.