Autists For Change

-Ari Newman (Autistic Advocate and Co-editor of Autists for Change)

“I live in an unfamiliar ocean with unfamiliar belugas. Because everyone’s different from me, it’s not easy to adjust, and there are lots of whales that hate me too. But it’s okay. Because this is my life. Though my life is unusual and peculiar, it’s valuable and beautiful.”

-Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Season 1; episode 16

People around the world struggling with disabilities are constantly looking for ways to be seen, understood, and represented in the public eye. They consistently work through the struggle of advocating for themselves in their schools and workplaces, and with friends and family. This, for many, can become exhausting. That is why a number of people look to popular culture to assist in this struggle. Many Autistics struggle with communication as a main part of their disability, meaning that this sort of representation is vastly important, yet widely misrepresented. Even when there are portrayals put into the public eye, much of the time, they only reinforce the numerous stereotypes already ingrained into our society and culture. That being said, as the film industry throughout the world evolves and adapts in response to many vastly underrepresented minority groups, they are slowly, but surely getting better. And, most importantly, this positive change helps autistic people around the world feel better understood and represented. 

“이상한 변호사 우영우”, or translated into English, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”, is a 2022 South Korean television series that follows an autistic female rooky attorney who is hired at major Seoul Law firm. It quickly increased in popularity in South Korea, subsequently spreading in interest throughout the world. The Series aired on ENA, (a south korean television network,) and currently is in the top ten most watched tv series in over fifteen other countries worldwide including in Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. These significant watch rates throughout the world will almost certainly have a significant impact on the understanding of autism worldwide for allistics and autistics alike. This considered, there have been a number of popularized TV shows and movies in the past with autistic Protagonists. So, what makes this TV show different in its impact for it to be positive?

When looking into the accuracy of how the life of a person with a disability is represented on Television, there are four main questions to consider: 1- How accurate are the representations of the hardships that this person faces in integration with society, and the prejudices they face? 2-How much are they basing the personality traits, physical appearances, or interests of the character upon common stereotypes, and how much of it is based upon first hand experience and scientific fact? 3-In what positive or negative ways have large sums of members of the represented community responded? Do they feel they are seen and understood by this portrayal? 4-How present are members of the community in the production of the film? 

Although there have been a significant number Autistic characters portrayed in media throughout the years of television, there have been a number of substantial inaccuracies to the way these characters were portrayed. One of the most notable of impact and inaccuracy is the 1988 film directed By Barry Levinson, Rain Man. This movie was one of the first of popularized media that present a main character who is autistic. Because of this, its impact has led to a number of autism stereotypes that are still present even today. Despite this, Rain Man has received much criticism from the autism community through its portrayal of the autistic character Raymond Babbitt as an apathetic “robot” with savant abilities and no understanding or empathy for other human beings or real worth in the world. This specific understanding of autism has lasted in the public eye, even now. It has led to many misconceptions about what it means to be autistic that have been carried out by various newer forms of media, hate group organizations, and social communities throughout our civilization. And, prior to rain man, people had very little information on what it meant to be autistic. The basis of much of the information people had on autism at the time had also come from the Nazi Scientist Hans Asperger, who spent his time defining who was of worth to continue on in society, and who must be Euthanized. Because of all of this, it is crucial that accurate first hand experiences, studies, and media portrayals get out into the world that break down these inaccurate and damaging stereotypes. 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo does a fantastic job in breaking down these stereotypes, as well as creating a significantly greater understanding of what it really means to be autistic, and the prejudices an autistic faces to a neurotypical. Beginning as soon as the opening sequence of the series, an autistic’s need for routine and the calm that comes from it is shown. Woo is seen carrying out her daily morning routine, which is followed precisely each day, or will cause her significant stress. The perspective in which this routine is carried out is a perfect look into the autistic experience. The opening sequence routine provides comfort and stability to Woo, bringing a similar experience of comfort to the watcher when witnessing the opening to the show. This provides an accurate window into an autistic’s need for routine, and the happiness it provides.

Woo also has a strong sense of justice, a commonality in many autistics. She has a strict compliance to what she sees as right and wrong; moral and immoral. This distinguishes her from the other lawyers in her firm, who will bend rules without second thought, and quickly look past an error, which can be an important skill to have in the workplace. Woo, like many other autistic people, has difficulty in moving past what is morally just, as well as being unable to look past minute errors made by her or her colleagues. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it shows a distinct moral compass, and a brain that is consistently looking for something that may not line up, but can also unknowingly hurt people in the process, or not get a crucial job done. Many times, by those who may not understand the way an autistic thinks, these traits can be seen as arrogant, because the way we communicate these thoughts and values can unintentionally hurt others or not comply with social “norms”. In actuality, this is not because the autistic person is intentionally being rude or arrogant, but because it is difficult for someone so detail oriented and focused on right from wrong to be able to look past even the smallest mistake or inaccuracy. This personality nuance and its common misinterpretation by neurotypicals is portrayed excellently throughout the show, and likely something many autistics can relate to, as it governs how we see the world. This perspective can also provide accurate information for allistics who want to better comprehend how the brain of an autistic person works.

The nuances of the sensory challenges an autistic person faces is normally overlooked in autism TV representations. Often, basic auditory or visual sensory issues are shown as something simple and easy to understand. Many TV shows also overlook sensory seeking and focus solely on sensory aversion. Of course, in real life situations sensory processing issues are extremely complex and can involve difficulties in a number of different senses, and can change from day to day depending on the stress level of the person, the amount of stimuli they have already experienced throughout the day, and even the energy and stress level of those around them. And for most autistic people, sensory processing difficulties do not only come up in a time of stress, but also in a time of excitement. This complicated way sensory issues can present themselves is hit spot on in Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Woo is seen to have significantly more sensory difficulties when in an environment she is less comfortable in, as well as when she, or the people around her are already angry or uneasy. The things that calm her sensory system in times of stress are also shown extremely well. She is seen frequently stimming to regulate her sensory system when both happy and anxious, and at specific times throughout the show is even given a pressure squeeze to calm her down, which is something many autistic people find comforting. Also, Yung Woo’s specific sensory struggles are relatable to many autistic individuals, such as her need to wear headphones on public transportation, or the difficulty with the loud ticking of a clock. This accuracy is another of many that may make autistic people feel less alone, and more heard. 

Most notably accurately represented in Extraordinary Attorney Woo is the connections that Woo makes between her interests, and her use of her interests to empathize with others. Woo is seen solving many of her cases through relating them to her interest in whales. To others, when she “randomly” brings up whales in a conversation, she is seen to be going off topic. But to her, everything in her life is connected and can help her understand the outside world more, which is a trait many autistic people have. Our interests also help us in empathizing with others, which is also shown in the TV show. She compares the people around her to different kinds of marine life with distinct traits, which brings her more insight into how other people function through the things she loves. This importantly brings attention to the fact that it is inaccurate that autistic people cannot empathize, but that they empathize in a different way then that of neurotypicals. Beyond that, some even argue for autistic people having extremely high levels of understanding and empathy for those around them, which leads to some of their discomfort. This possibility is also explored throughout the series, along with the difficulty she has in understanding her own emotions along with that of others. 

When it comes to the accurate portrayal of an autistic character, Extraordinary Attorney Woo does not fall short. The TV show also does well in keeping from following the classic stereotypes that are given to an autistic character on television. Attorney Woo is not a male with no understanding or care of those around, but a complex character with depth, and significant empathy for the people around her. Although some have criticized Woo for being a autistic savant, which is not extremely common in autistic individuals, this issue is made up for as someone of contrasting personality and intellectual abilities is also represented in an episode of the series. 

Although the representation and accuracy of Woo was done well throughout the TV show, few autistic people were involved in the actual production of the series. The accuracy is also, of course, not perfect. But to make autistic people feel seen, it does its job,  especially considering the frame in which Korea is far behind other countries in its autism understanding. The show would not educate ignorant people on autism accuracy, but can serve as an add-on to neurotypicals who have an understanding and autistics who feel minimally represented explicitly in the media. That being said, everyone involved, including the actors, did a huge amount of research prior to their creation and participation in the show. It was also confirmed that an autistic lawyer was consulted in the creation of the show, which is certainly a factor to the accuracy. The remarkable acting skills of Park Eun Bin, the actor who plays Woo, had even led many people to the question of if Park was autistic herself, which was not the case. Not only is this accuracy attributed to Park’s talent, but more so, the amount of research and thought Park put into the character. Park Eun Bin said in an interview, “I did not want to imitate the character [with autism spectrum disorder] implemented through the media, so imitation was excluded as a top priority. I was afraid that I would implicitly remember real people or characters and approach them in the wrong way, so I was wrong. I thought carefully about whether I might be planted.” “As my acting could spread the wrong idea (about the disability), it was a job that required caution and discretion. I had space for creative freedom in acting but also set an appropriate line to capture the character’s heart.” 

Many autistic people have also responded positively to this TV series’s autistic portrayal. An autistic lawyer wrote, “I found Young-woo, the titular attorney, to be endearing and relatable. Attorney Woo is very routine driven, often eating the same foods day after day—something that brings me comfort, as trying new foods makes me anxious—I don’t always know what to do with new tastes and textures, even when applied to familiar foods. My noise-canceling headphones save me from crying babies on airplanes and sensory overload; Young-woo similarly wears hers nearly everywhere in public to drown out overwhelming sounds. And she’s creative, passionate and wants the same things most everyone else does—employment, acceptance, happiness and a shot at love.” Many other autistic people have responded positively to Extraordinary Attorney Woo, also finding her experiences “relatable” and “endearing”, although semi-exaggerated. 

Overall, Extraordinary Attorney Woo does a superb job in representing the autistic experience, and the prejudices an autistic person faces in the world. The creators and actors of the show did their research, and it certainly paid off. The TV show shies away from stereotypes, and being streamed throughout the world, will hopefully bring a greater understanding of autistics by neurotypicals, and a feeling of connection and representation in TV for autistic people around the world who may feel alone.