Thesis abstract:

«p»Mainstream media often misrepresents autism, typically portraying autistic characters as male, white, and stereotyped. Autistic women are especially underrepresented. Recently, young autistic women on TikTok have used the platform to share their experiences and connect with the autism community, although concerns exist about possible "glamorisation" and misinformation. This study examines how these influencers shape our understanding of autism and how audiences react to their content, by employing content & textual analysis to identify themes in the posts on five popular female TikTok influencer accounts, and the trajectory of these womens’ identity development as disability and political advocates. It will also analyse comments posted by their audiences to consider how their content is being received, the types of responses it generates, and any indications of follower influence.«/p»