This study examines how contemporary films (2015-2025) construct ideologies about autism and difference through representational practices. The research investigates a purposefully sampled corpus of feature films featuring autistic characters. Data were collected through close textual analysis of narrative structures, dialogue, and cinematic techniques. Findings reveal persistent reliance on the savant stereotype and several caregiver-centered narratives that privilege neurotypical perspectives. The study illustrates how autism representation functions as a site of ideological struggle, while identifying storytelling choices that both enable and resist dominant framings and contribute to ethically responsible cultural production.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study examines how contemporary films (2015-2025) construct ideologies about autism and difference through representational practices. The research investigates a purposefully sampled corpus of feature films featuring autistic characters. Data were collected through close textual analysis of narrative structures, dialogue, and cinematic techniques. Findings reveal persistent reliance on the savant stereotype and several caregiver-centered narratives that privilege neurotypical perspectives. The study illustrates how autism representation functions as a site of ideological struggle, while identifying storytelling choices that both enable and resist dominant framings and contribute to ethically responsible cultural production. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Escobal Porta, Abril"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Mohammed Rashid","Dr. David R. Davies","Dr. Fei Xue"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2026-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:55Z","subjects":["Communication","Disability Studies","Autism","Autism in Film","Broadcast and Video Studies","Communication Technology and New Media","Critical and Cultural Studies","Health Communication","Other Film and Media Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1193","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Mohammed Rashid","Dr. David R. Davies","Dr. Fei Xue"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Escobal Porta, Abril"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2027-05-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Communication","Disability Studies","Autism","Autism in Film","Broadcast and Video Studies","Communication Technology and New Media","Critical and Cultural Studies","Health Communication","Other Film and Media Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1193"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study examines how contemporary films (2015-2025) construct ideologies about autism and difference through representational practices. The research investigates a purposefully sampled corpus of feature films featuring autistic characters. Data were collected through close textual analysis of narrative structures, dialogue, and cinematic techniques. Findings reveal persistent reliance on the savant stereotype and several caregiver-centered narratives that privilege neurotypical perspectives. The study illustrates how autism representation functions as a site of ideological struggle, while identifying storytelling choices that both enable and resist dominant framings and contribute to ethically responsible cultural production.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Screening Difference: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Autism in Contemporary Film"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Mohammed Rashid","Dr. David R. Davies","Dr. Fei Xue"],"dc:creator":["Escobal Porta, Abril"],"dc:date.available":["2027-05-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study examines how contemporary films (2015-2025) construct ideologies about autism and difference through representational practices. The research investigates a purposefully sampled corpus of feature films featuring autistic characters. Data were collected through close textual analysis of narrative structures, dialogue, and cinematic techniques. Findings reveal persistent reliance on the savant stereotype and several caregiver-centered narratives that privilege neurotypical perspectives. The study illustrates how autism representation functions as a site of ideological struggle, while identifying storytelling choices that both enable and resist dominant framings and contribute to ethically responsible cultural production.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1193"],"dc:subject":["Communication","Disability Studies","Autism","Autism in Film","Broadcast and Video Studies","Communication Technology and New Media","Critical and Cultural Studies","Health Communication","Other Film and Media Studies"],"dc:title":["Screening Difference: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Autism in Contemporary Film"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:55Z"}