#representation: adhd

[representativecharacters]

Character: Sara Eriksson

From: Young Royals

Representation: Neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD), Biracial (Latina and white)

Their Importance: She's a three-dimensional character who is both sympathetic and flawed- while usually kind and caring, Sara has moments of selfishness and like the rest of the main cast was clearly written to be as realistic as possible. This also means she faces the same struggles as neurodivergent people in real life such as misreading social cues and having trouble socializing (she apparently had no close friends in her previous school). One of the highlights of the series is Sara's friendship with Felice, an upper-class girl who first bonds with Sara over horse riding (which is all but stated to be Sara's special interest). Refreshingly enough, despite Felice's status as a rich popular student she genuinely cares for her new friend with no rivalry or bullying involved- something I expected at first given the girls' different social status. Sara's actress Frida Argento is also autistic, adding more authenticity to the role.

Issues: This is a fairly minor complaint, but the show uses the term Aspergers to talk about Sara's autism- while accepted by some neurodivergent people, it is outdated and stems from ableist stereotypes (similarly to the term "high-functioning").

Thanks to anon for the write-up!

[representativecharacters]

Character: Dr. Jared Hel

From: Jar of Rebuke (podcast) 

Representation: Asexual, Nonbinary, ADHD, Anxiety, PTSD

Their Importance: Jared is the main character in the podcast, he shows romantic attraction towards a character named Darius. He is clearly queer, even if labels haven't been used in the podcast itself. Also, his voice actor is an asexual/nonbinary voice actor as well! The podcast is actually full of canonically LGBTQA+ characters, even in just the first few episodes.

While it hasn’t been explicitly stated in the show yet, he has had flashbacks, panic attacks, and has been described as having hyperfixations as well. 

Issues: The representation listed for Jared hasn’t officially been confirmed in the podcast in-canon yet, but the writer and voice actor for him has confirmed it on social media/streams and it has been stated that it WILL be canonically confirmed. His asexuality has been heavily implied, but only stated as canon so far on social media.

Thanks to anon for the write-up!

[representativecharacters]

Character: Miko Kubota 

From: Glitch Techs

Representation: Biracial (half-Japanese), Disorder (ADHD) 

Their Importance: I don't remember how many times I said "Oh I do that" while watching the show, but it was a lot because Miko reminds me so much of myself. It's clear that the writers understand how ADHD actually works- Miko being unable to focus on things she isn't interested in or doesn't view as importat to her is clear throughout the show, so is her hyperfocusing on things she does like (like games). I found that very relatable, and it also feels important to mention Miko isn't shamed for that and is still able to have awesome adventures and save the day. She and her friend High Five are both POC (she's biracial and he's Latino), which also felt pretty great to see since there still aren't many shows with nonwhite main cast (and most supporting characters are also people of color).

Issues: I guess an issue could be that her ADHD is stated by one of the creators rather than in the actual show, but I'd say it's still as clear as it can be without being confirmed (and as far as representation goes, this was well written and realistic).

Also, Miko’s family in the show (who are Japanese) are portrayed as having multi-pale members with yellow skin. 

Thanks to anon for the write-up!

[representativecharacters]

Character: Aoi Aota

From: Toumei na Yurikago (An Invisible Cradle / Transparent Cradle)

Representation: ADHD

Importance: As someone who watches a lot of Asian dramas, I’d like to say that Aoi is one of the few examples in Japanese dramaland of a canonically neurodivergent character who is at the same time treated respectfully by the characters and the writing. She is an assistant nurse at a maternity ward and 17 years old. Aoi is not portrayed as a genius and is shown as being a very empathetic individual, though she often confesses that she has trouble figuring out why someone might feel a certain way and also at detecting what someone might be thinking. The drama shows her when she first starts working at the clinic, and portrays her relationships with the patients and infants, the other nurses, the head doctor, and her growing understanding and acceptance of people’s reasons for their actions.

They don’t actually say that she has ADHD until episode 7 (of 10), which is pretty late in the drama. Aoi and her mom, though clearly loving each other, do experience friction relating to her disability, which was more pronounced in her childhood pre-diagnosis. I have read some comments that speculate that Aoi may also be on the spectrum, but that’s entirely noncanon.

Also important to note is that the original mangaka has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum herself. The manga is based on her own experiences working as a nurse in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic. 

Additional notes: The show is a slice of life medical drama set in a maternity ward, and there is a lot of discussion and coverage of issues such as pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, abortion, suicide and the like. In general, I thought these were sensitively and intelligently discussed, though the outcomes may not always be entirely satisfactory.

Thanks to anon for the write-up!

[representativecharacters]

Character: Harold Hutchins 

From: Captain Underpants (book series) 

Representation: LGBTQIA+ (mlm), ADHD

Their Importance: Harold is one of the main characters of the prolific young children's book series Captain Underpants. The books follow him and his best George as they get into trouble and go on ridiculous and funny adventures. Both Harold and George have been diagnosed with ADHD. This is never portrayed negatively and it's noted that they both see their diagnosis as a badge of honour, since George's dad told them people with ADHD tend to be more creative.

In the last book, George and Harold travel to the future and end up meeting their adult selves. They're both married with two children and have jobs they love. It's also happens that Harold is married to a man named Billy. At no point does anyone seem surprised by this and it's never mentioned as anything out of the ordinary. For many children this is the first introduction to queerness and it's so, so important for young queer folk who got to see themselves represented for the first time.

Thanks to @shadowwolf for the write up!