The Boundaries and Possibilities of Inclusion: Chinese Audience Responses to On-Screen Representations of Autism

• In Event: Interrogating and Advancing Inclusive and Accessible Tech/Media Engagement for Neurodiverse Learners

Abstract

This study examines how Chinese audiences respond to representations of autism in global screen media. Drawing on 2,358 user reviews from Douban, it combines sentiment analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis to explore emotional and discursive engagements with autism narratives. Three dominant pathways emerge: structural realism, genius-based exceptionalism, and familial emotionalization. While many comments reflect empathy, others reveal ambivalence toward “acceptable difference” and merit-based inclusion. Inclusion is shown to be culturally negotiated, often shaped by conditional admiration, emotional labor, and normative expectations. Offering a non-Western perspective, this study highlights how media reception contributes to the construction of disability and redefines the cultural boundaries of inclusive education.

Authors

• Jianglan Ding, South China Normal University

• Xiaomeng Chen, South China Normal University