“Do They Actually Behave Like That?”: How Audiences in Aotearoa New Zealand Interpret Media Representations of Neurodivergence

Abstract

As the term neurodivergence becomes more widely recognised, there has been growing scholarly interest in how it is understood by the public. Like any form of education, the media we consume plays a significant role in shaping this understanding. However, portrayals of neurodivergence across film, television, and streaming media remain limited, often relying on narrow or stereotypical depictions. This leads to the central question of the thesis: how representations of neurodivergence are interpreted and internalised within the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.

To explore this, the study examines portrayals of neurodivergence in screen media through the perspectives of both neurodivergent and neurotypical audiences from diverse backgrounds within Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. It investigates how audiences interpret existing representations, how these portrayals shape public understandings of neurodivergence, and how intersectional factors such as gender, age, and race influence the representation of neurodivergent individuals within media. Drawing on these insights, the study seeks to identify how representation might move beyond dominant global frameworks toward more authentic and locally grounded approaches within Aotearoa’s media landscape.

Adopting a qualitative methodological approach, the study consists of two separate focus groups – one with neurodivergent participants and one with neurotypical participants – supported by a pre-focus group survey designed to encourage reflection prior to discussion. The data was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis within a reflexive qualitative framework informed by interpretivist and social constructivist perspectives. The study is also shaped in part by the researcher’s positionality as a late-diagnosed autistic woman, informing its interpretive and intersectional lens.

The findings reveal several tensions within contemporary media representations of neurodivergence. Participants identified a recurring representational binary, conceptualised in this study as the “savant vs. stupid” framework, in which neurodivergent characters are depicted through either exceptionalised or deficit-based portrayals. Neurodivergent and neurotypical participants often interpreted these portrayals differently, illustrating what this study terms “stereotype spillover,” whereby simplified media tropes shape broader public understandings of neurodivergence in both positive and negative ways. Intersectional disparities were also evident, particularly in relation to gender, age, and race. Participants frequently struggled to recall examples of neurodivergent representation within New Zealand media, instead referencing international productions, highlighting ongoing challenges surrounding the visibility and cultural recognisability of local portrayals.

This research contributes to scholarship on neurodivergent media representation by offering an audience-centred analysis within the Aotearoa New Zealand context, examining how global media representations are interpreted at a local level. Addressing the supporting research question – what can be done to improve representation moving forward – the study also provides insights relevant to media producers, policymakers, and organisations such as New Zealand On Air and TVNZ seeking to support more authentic and culturally grounded portrayals of neurodivergence.