The Superman on the Spectrum Shaw's Autistic Characters and the Neurodiversity Movement

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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Loftis, S. F. (2014). The Superman on the Spectrum Shaw's Autistic Characters and the Neurodiversity Movement. Shaw, 34(1), 59-74. https://doi.org/10.5325/shaw.34.1.0059

Publication date: 1 Oct 2014 Added to AutiHub: 29 Aug 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Sonya Freeman Loftis *

Abstract

ABSTRACT: As the autistic community searches for historical identity, it is surprising to notice that Bernard Shaw appears on almost every list of famous figures associated with the autism spectrum. The neurodiversity movement's surprising appropriation of Shaw and his characters may seem superficially beneficial to public perceptions about autism and Asperger's syndrome. However, proposing an autistic identity for his St. Joan and Henry Higgins, and possibly even the playwright himself, actually threatens to reaffirm damaging stereotypes of people on the spectrum, perpetuating the erroneous idea that all autistic people are geniuses and savants.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 01:04.

Cited references
9
With a DOI
8
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
0
0 / 9 (0.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 9 (22.2%)
References with detected author names
7 / 9 (77.8%)
Without detected author names
2
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
0
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
8
From DOI or external metadata
8
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
1 / 8 (12.5%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 7 / 8 (87.5%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
0 / 8 (0.0%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 0 / 1 (0.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 0 / 8 (0.0%).
  1. (1999). The Cambridge companion to George Bernard Shaw . Choice Reviews Online, 36(08), 36-4339-36-4339. American Library Association.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.5860/choice.36-4339 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W209350501
    OpenAlex
  2. Linton, Simi (1998). Claiming disability: knowledge and identity . Choice Reviews Online, 35(11), 35-6303-35-6303. American Library Association.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.5860/choice.35-6303 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W230540954
    OpenAlex
  3. (2010). Autism and Representation . Routledge.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.4324/9780203935088 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1570596127
    OpenAlex
  4. Sharon L. Snyder , David T. Mitchell (2007). Cultural Locations of Disability . Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 9(2), 125-127. Stockholm University Press.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/15017410701345365 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1980654761
    OpenAlex
  5. Rodelle Weintraub (2006). Bernard Shaw's Henry Higgins: A Classic Aspergen . English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920, 49(4), 388-397. English Literature in Transition (Project Muse).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2487/h076-6835-013g-52r4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2041386928
    OpenAlex
  6. Karen McKenzie (2007). The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome . Learning Disability Practice, 10(2), 26-27. RCN Publishing Ltd..
    Type: Article DOI: 10.7748/ldp.10.2.26.s17 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2290350210
    OpenAlex
  7. Sylvan Barnet (1956). Bernard Shaw on Tragedy . PMLA/Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, 71(5), 888-899. Modern Language Association (MLA).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2307/460516 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2332182701
    OpenAlex
  8. Temple Grandin (1995). Thinking in Pictures .
    Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2798973462
    OpenAlex
  9. Christopher Innes (1998). “Nothing but talk, talk, talk - Shaw talk” . In The Cambridge Companion to George Bernard Shaw (pp. 162-179). Cambridge University Press.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1017/ccol0521562376.008 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2978054185
    OpenAlex