The Complexity of ASD in Young Adult and Romance Literature

By Fiona Candland

Prior to the year 2000, only 3 novels had been published with the appearance of an autistic character [1]. None of these characters were protagonists nor did they have any internal dialogue, rather, their characters were involved to bounce heroics of neurotypical characters off of–essentially, plot devices or ways to prove another character’s morality. Since then, the list of characters with autism in literature has grown enormously, housing beloved protagonists of different ages and genders in an array of genres. The involvement of autistic characters in all genres of literature is evolving, however, the romance genre is of particular interest. Although the representation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in romance is important, upon taking a closer glance, the portrayal is at times problematic. Only one side of ASD is portrayed, poorly representing the disorder, as many authors pick and choose when it would be quirky or convenient for the characters to appear neurodivergent. This makes the representation tricky, as only high-functioning, intellectually gifted characters are represented, when for the vast majority of individuals with ASD, that is not their experience. 

To understand these themes in romance novels, looking at similar themes and instances in Young Adult (YA) fiction may be a good starting place. YA fiction is perhaps the most prevalent genre that has opened itself up to characters with ASD; this may be due in part to the increase in ASD diagnoses or perhaps the increase in education of and about autistic people, nonetheless, autistic adolescents are increasingly coloring YA book pages [2]. To evaluate YA books with autistic characters, Dyches, Prater & Leininger suggest two core measures: portrayals of individuals with disabilities must be both realistic and positive. To be considered realistic, the novel must depict the characteristics of the disabilities accurately, keeping with current professional practices and literature. Books with positive portrayals must characterize an individual with disabilities in some or all of the following ways: realistic emphasis on strengths rather than weaknesses, making positive contributions beyond promoting growth in other characters, becoming self-determined, and expanding reciprocal relationships [3]. Additionally, the realistic measure must avoid stereotypes, challenging what many believe to be ‘realistic’ [4]. With these measures in mind, Dyches and her colleagues found that 74 percent of the books in their study were realistic, while only 40.5 percent were positive. An additional 40.5 percent of the books were mixed, showing occasional positive characterizations with just as many negative, and 19 percent negative, characterized by absolutely no positive representations of autism and developmental disabilities as a whole. This framework of evaluation helps us understand the state of representation in YA fiction, and also allows a rough framework for all different types of genres. In a detailed study of ASD in YA fiction, Black and Tsumoto perform case studies on 8 YA novels and their 8 characters with ASD [3]. In the study, they analyze the characters’ role in their respective stories, specific behaviors, and overall representation of ASD, keeping the evaluative measures in mind. The findings are overwhelmingly homogenous, showing only very slight differences in the characters’ behavioral patterns, likes and dislikes, and overall personalities. Below are the findings in an organized table: 

Table of findings from Black & Tsumoto’s research on ASD in YA fiction [4].

Some behaviors are expected like necessity for routines, obsessions, and sensitivity to stimulation, however, there are also very specific personality traits and aspects of the characters’ lives that are not necessarily pillars of ASD, that for some reason, all characters possess. One example is the overwhelming lack of connection and friendship all of these autistic characters experience. While a difficulty to communicate and express empathy is a trait of ASD [5], which may affect human relationships, that does not translate to “autistic adolescents don’t have friends”, which is what this pattern of portrayal narrates. 

The study also reveals that all characters have a high sensitivity to touch both by other humans as well as certain materials, and an overwhelming difficulty with communication, highlighted by a difficulty with tone, eye contacts, and a mystification with metaphors. While none of these characteristics are out of the ordinary for autistic people, by making their autistic traits their only traits, YA literature is pushing a narrative of ASD that reinforces stereotypes and paints autistic people as one dimensional. 

Lastly, the study reveals that all of these characters are high functioning, bordering on genius with extravagantly high IQs. This stereotype of intellectually gifted people with autism is more specifically associated with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) which is under the ASD umbrella. The difference with AS in relation to ASD as a whole is the abnormally high intelligence and difficulty in relation to other human beings [6]. In Black and Tsumotot’s summary and analysis of their findings, Black writes: “All of the protagonists were high-functioning intellectually, bordering on gifted. This finding is similar to those of Nordahl-Hansen et al. (2018) [7] regarding characters with ASD in film and television and to those of Irwin et al. (2015) [8], who found that 75% of the characters with autism in 100 books were described as having splinter-savant abilities. However, until the early 2000s, it was estimated that 70% of those with autism had low intellectual ability (IQ < 70)” [9]. So although people with AS are a part of the ASD community and their experiences and realities are just as important to share, their experiences and narrative is essentially the only one being shared. It makes one think about why creatives are afraid to write about people with characteristics that we don’t necessarily idolize as a society, shying away from the realities of many, and strengthening unrealistic stereotypes. 

This trend of picking and choosing when ASD is convenient for a story and what traits are acceptable to portray bleeds into romance novels, too. While romance novels are much newer to autistic protagonists than YA fiction, autistic men and women have begun warming the hearts of many romance enthusiasts. One of the first romance novels to incorporate neurodivergent love is The Kiss Quotient [10], published in 2018. The novel features econometrician, Stella Lane, whose romantic past, due to her Asperger’s, had been less than ideal until she hires and meets Michael Phan, a male escort. While the book is beloved by many and shows strong representation of ASD that had previously failed to exist, the story falls into the same trap previously explored in YA fiction. 

Stella is high functioning, bordering on genius, and specializes in econometrics which is statistical math in economics. She has sensitivities to many different fabrics as well as specific seams stitched in clothing–which is perfect as Michael is an aspiring designer and works at his mothers dry cleaning and tailoring shop. Stella shows her love through data and statistics and somehow, despite notorious difficulties with communication and human relationship, Michael is able to almost perfectly understand her. Her previous relationships consisted of blind dates that her grandchildless mother set up for her that lacked any sort of comfort or chemistry. Her sexual history was short and contained two one night stands, neither of which she derived pleasure from. While this book accounts for so many steps forward in ASD representation, it is not without some substantial faults. 

Romantic and sexual relationships for those with ASD are difficult to navigate, especially with an egregious lack of sexual education [13]. Autistic people are rarely seen in a romantic or sexual light, hence their absence in romance novels. Perhaps due to their difficulties with communication and overly enhanced stereotype of discomfort with physical touch, people assume autistic people have a general lack of sexual and romantic desire. This could not be further from the truth. Individuals with ASD have sexual desires and a want for romantic connection just as much as neurotypical people, however, it is a lack of education and knowledge surrounding romance that is the greatest deterrent of connection, not a lack of interest [14]. In fact, high-functioning people with ASD, usually those diagnosed with AS, reported that an anxiety around communication and social interaction as well as a lack of sexual education was the main reason for a lack of sexual experience, not a lack of interest [15]. Additionally, a study of people with high functioning autism revealed that half of individuals with ASD who had yet to have a sexual experience felt a strong desire, almost a need for sexual interaction, of which a quarter of those people felt incredibly frustrated by the absence of romance in their lives [16]. The fact that Stella is an autistic woman who wants love and sexual experience yet feels a detachment to romantic exploration in practice because of anxiety and a lack of knowledge is resonant for many people with ASD. Looking back to the previously mentioned core principles of evaluation, this is an accurate representation of ASD in literature. 

Moving on to the positive aspects necessary for successful ASD literature, there are many, like the confidence that Stella gains throughout the story both in herself and in her romantic wants, the support she finds from others and the ways she is able to open up and

achieve a level of comfort with others, and a general emphasis on her strengths rather than weaknesses. While there are many aspects that make this representation positive, there are also moments where it feels like Huong weaponizes Stella’s AS to make the plot more interesting, or create tension in the story. 

While a lack of sexual education for individuals with ASD hides knowledge about oneself and the essential tools to explore one’s sexuality, stunting romantic and sexual growth, this lack of education also leaves individuals vulnerable against sexual assault. In a study, researches found that 25% of women in the United States reported being raped, while 34% of women have been victims of sexual assault–sexual violence against women in the United States is not nearly as rare as it should be [17]. This includes women with ASD. On top of patriarchal power, inequality, and an overwhelming lack of women’s health resources, women with ASD face even greater challenges than neurotypical people that leave them at an increased risk of victimization. With a lack of general education around sexual violence, people with ASD may be uncertain regarding their experience and left only to feel violated with physical and emotional wounds. In addition to the lack of education and resources given to autistic people, their impaired communication abilities leave them vulnerable and isolated, uncertain if they can and where they would seek help [18]. Koegel writes, “psychological symptoms such as acute anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder are often overlooked and mistakenly attributed to typical behaviors exhibited by individuals with ASDs” as the event, trauma, and repercussions are often overlooked in addition to the lack of agency people with ASD have against sexual violence [19]. 

The reason this is so important is because in The Kiss Quotient, Stella is sexually assaulted and continuously harassed by her coworker, Phillip. In the book, the reason she hires Michael as an escort is because her coworker ardently harasses her calling her an uptight virgin who probably has little sexual experience. Due to this harassment, she hires Michael so she can gain sexual experience and finally be attractive to Phillip. Later in the novel, Phillip, who has noticed her romantic transformation as she is now in a relationship with Michael, assaults her, kissing her without her consent. Not only does she tell no one about the assault, but she goes on a date with Phillip after the incident, giving him a chance and swallowing the way the assault made her feel. 

Sexual assault is disturbingly prevalent in the romance genre, as many authors use such traumatic events against women to prove the protective strength and true love of the male love interest. While this theme is incredibly problematic, endorsing troublesome rhetoric to adolescent individuals, the addition of sexual assault on a woman with ASD proves to have greater repercussions. It would have been one thing–a problematic thing, still–if Stella had told Michael and found a way to stand up for herself and get Phillip fired or invoke some way to make him pay for his actions. However, by maintaining her character’s silence and fear of condemning him as well as orchestrating a date between the two is an incredibly negative representation of ASD. 

There are many positive instances of ASD in The Kiss Quotient, like the newfound power and freedom Stella finds at the end of the book as she remarks: “She wasn’t broken, She saw and interacted with the world in a different way, but that was her…At the core, she would always be autistic. People called it a disorder, but it didn't feel like one. To her, it was simply the way she was.” There is definitely a push for authenticity for autistic people in the novel and an emphasis on embracing oneself. However, there are also many problematic and demeaning representations of ASD that would absolutely be considered negative rather than positive. The addition of sexual violence committed against a vulnerable women with ASD as a sole device to move the plot forward and show potential weaknesses is unacceptable and is no way authors should be including ASD in their stories. 

Furthermore, the representation of AS in modern novels shows many steps forward, however, there needs to be greater representation, not just high-functioning geniuses in contemporary fiction. A popular saying in the autism community is, “If you know one child with autism, you know one child with autism,” and as it stands, readers only really know one child with autism [20]. The representation in YA fiction and romance has so much potential to show the world the kindness and unique love of autistic people; hopefully, the representation spreads to more and more genres so children, adults, and people from all backgrounds with autism get to see people like them represented in literature. As Robert proclaims, “if we want developmentally disabled readers to find themselves in adolescent fiction, we would give them more than one role to play. They can be heroes, villains, winners, losers, angels, demons, and everything in between. In allowing ASD teenagers to lead rich lives on the page, adolescent literature would recognize the diversity of the ASD community in ways that current crop of autistic fiction has not yet achieved” [21]. As strides towards more accurate and colorful representations have been made, there are still more to come and readers and authors alike welcome those strides with enthusiasm. 

Works Cited 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_autistic_fictional_characters

[2], [5], [6], [11] Black, Rhonda S., and Courtney A. Tsumoto. "Portrayal of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders in young adult literature." Exceptionality Education International 28, no. 1 (2018). 

[3] Dyches, T. T., Prater, M. A., & Leininger, M. (2009). Juvenile literature and the portrayal of developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 44(3), 304. [4] Heim, A. B. (1994). Beyond the Stereotypes: Characters with mental disabilities in children’s books. School Library Journal, 40(9), 139-42. 

[7] Fletcher-Watson, Sue, and Geoffrey Bird. "Autism and empathy: What are the real links?." Autism 24, no. 1 (2020): 3-6. 

[8] Tantam, Digby. "Asperger's syndrome." Journal of child psychology and psychiatry 29, no. 3 (1988): 245-255. 

[9] Nordahl-Hansen, Anders, Magnus Tøndevold, and Sue Fletcher-Watson. "Mental health on screen: A DSM-5 dissection of portrayals of autism spectrum disorders in film and TV." Psychiatry Research 262 (2018): 351-353. 

[10] Irwin, Marilyn, Annette Y. Goldsmith, and Rachel Applegate. "The real deal: Teen characters with autism in YA novels." The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults 6, no. 2 (2015): 1-23. 

[12] Hoang, Helen. The kiss quotient. Hugo Roman, 2019. 

[13], [14], [15], [16], [18], [19] Koegel, Lynn Kern, Whitney J. Detar, Amanda Fox, and Robert L. Koegel. "Romantic relationships, sexuality, and autism spectrum disorders." Adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders (2014): 87-104.

[17] Goodman, L. A., Koss, M. P., Fitzgerald, L. F., Russo, N. F., & Keita, G. P. (1993). Male violence against women: Current research and future directions. American Psychologist, 48 (10), 1054– 1058 

[20], [21] Rozema, Robert. "The problem of autism in young adult fiction." Language Arts Journal of Michigan 30, no. 1 (2014): 7.