Thursday, July 10, 2008
Florida Exhibit Hall A (Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center)
Aaron D. Stone, B.A., Communication, Minor:, E,
Student, Bethesda, MD
This study explored how the mass media depicts autism. My goal was to determine how people’s view of autism is socially constructed (our view of autism is defined and shaped by our own experiences) and to establish guidelines for future media portrayals of autism. I did this by showing media clips of autism to parents that have autistic children, special education teachers, and clinicians and asked for their feedback as to how well the clip portrayed autism.