"Autism, adulthood and fictions: reading autism portrayals after diagnosis" - Dr James McGrath

The talk, ‘Autism, adulthood and fictions: reading autism portrayals after diagnosis’, was given by Dr James McGrath, a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at Leeds Beckett University.
The event coincides with Disability History Month and forms part of Leeds Cultural Conversations series programmed by the Centre for Culture and the Arts at Leeds Beckett.
Dr McGrath, whose book Naming Adult Autism will be published by Rowman & Littlefield International next year, said: “Autism and fiction have an odd relationship. Many diagnosticians count a person’s enjoyment of fiction amongst indications that he or she is probably not autistic. And while countless novels, films and TV series have featured autistic adult characters, people with autism are largely unrecognised as readers and viewers of these portrayals.”
The talk combines literary criticism with a post-diagnosis view of how autism is depicted in contemporary culture.
Dr McGrath addresses aspects of gender, class, and disability itself in relation to autistic identities, and will also considers the wider potential of culture in shaping and challenging expectations placed on autistic adults.