Short Report: Autism in Popular Media: A Google Trends Analysis of Public Interest

Public interest in autism-related topics can be tracked through online search behaviour, yet little is known about how popular media portrayals structure this interest over time. This study analysed Google Trends data for autism and Asperger between 2004 and 2025, focusing on popular media-related results within the categories Movies and TV & Video. Results showed a progressive increase in search interest for autism and a decline for Asperger in both categories, alongside a marked concentration of attention around a small number of highly recurrent media references. Male-coded characters dominated the sample, although several recent female portrayals generated substantial interest. These findings highlight the role of popular media in shaping the terms, figures and representations through which autism becomes visible online.Lay AbstractThis study looked at how people search online for information about autism and Asperger's, and how popular movies and TV shows influence that interest. By analysing Google Trends data from 2004 to 2025, we found that searches for autism have steadily increased, while searches for Asperger have declined. A small number of media portrayals accounted for most of the search activity, showing that certain portrayals strongly shape public curiosity. Most of these characters were male, although interest in female autistic characters has grown in recent years. Overall, the findings suggest that popular media play an important role in how the public learns about and understands autism, influencing which terms, stories and representations become most visible online.