Transforming children’s perception of autism through the “superpower” of media representation in the U.S.

ABSTRACT Although the potential to shape neurotypical children’s perceptions of those with a disability has been documented, there is little evidence exploring the impact that publicly accessible media, such as an animated children’s television show, may have on young children’s perceptions of those with autism. Over two phases of testing, 113 children (ages 5–8) viewed a new episode from Hero Elementary, an animated television show featuring a child superhero with autism, and participated in a focus group afterwards. The qualitative findings from these exploratory sessions demonstrated that most children in our study had little or no exposure to autism prior to viewing the episode, and that those who had prior exposure had inaccurate or negative perceptions of autism. Moreover, the study revealed that after viewing the episode, children with an understanding of autism increased, and children generally viewed autism as a positive quality of the character. These results hold implications for developers of media to understand the potential impact developmentally appropriate media representation can have on children’s understanding and perceptions of others with disabilities. Areas of future research are offered in the discussion. Impact Summary Prior State of Knowledge: While interventions for developing neurotypical children’s perceptions of neuroatypical children are promising, it is unclear what delivery of exposure may be effective. There is little evidence indicating whether an animated show could feasibly change children’s perceptions of those with autism. Novel Contributions: Young neurotypical children have little to no exposure to autism. After viewing an episode featuring an animated character with autism, children had an understanding of autism and children generally viewed autism as a positive quality of the character. Practical Implications: These findings hold implications for developers of children’s media. It sheds powerful light on the potential impact developmentally appropriate media representation can have on children’s understanding and perceptions of others with disabilities.