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Abstract: Educators have used narrative fiction to expand knowledge and facilitate awareness about underrepresented populations, including those with disabilities. This study is a content analysis of nine awardwinning young-adult narrative fiction books with characters depicting individuals with ASD. The analysis yielded a total of 285 symptoms that were coded based on the American Psychiatric Association's definition of ASD symptoms. Analysis revealed that 72% of the total symptoms depicted repetitive or restrictive behaviors, and the remaining 28% represented social communication difficulties or deficits as described by the DSM-5. The results of this study show that few fictional stories depict the difficulties ofsocial communication as it is often observed in high-functioning individuals with ASD. Therefore, narrative fiction that overplays the restrictive, repetitive behaviors and underplays the social communication deficits perpetuates misconceptions about ASD. Narrative fiction with main characters clearly shows ASD symptoms have large implications for stakeholders working with students with ASD.
More than three decades ago few people knew about or understood autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and at the turn of the century, only one out of 150 people were diagnosed with this developmental disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). Since that time, ASD has become more prevalent in the US and the rate of diagnosis has almost tripled with one in 68 children currently being diagnosed (CDC, 2014; Christensen et al., 2016). Autism spectrum disorder is a "developmental disorder characterized by marked difficulty in communication and social relations and by the presence of atypical behaviors such as unusual responses to sensation, repetitive movements, and insistence on routine or sameness" (Neisworth & Wolfe, 2005, p. 20). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th Edition ([DSM-5]; APA, 2013), an individual must display persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction and exhibit restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests to receive a diagnosis of ASD.
Narrative Fiction
As medical and educational professionals continue to grapple with how to best support individuals with ASD, authors of children's and young adult literature grapple with the topic by creating stories featuring characters with an ASD. Research indicates that reading stories can help a person gain an understanding of others (Mar & Oatley, 2008), specifically, reading about characters with an ASD can help...