Autism and Storytelling - autistic narrative processing and stories for neurodivergent audiences
- gillianjones48
- 4 minutes ago
- 4 min read
How pattern recognition in autism makes for better narrative systems - not just for autistic audiences, but for us all
Pattern recognition and attention to detail are seen as autistic strengths, although for a reason I won’t go into here today, it can also drive you mad! For someone who’s neurodivergent and often sees patterns before anyone else does, it can sometimes lead to difficult exchanges and situations with neurotypical people.
However, pattern recognition is also a strength. I won’t call it a ‘superpower’ because I think this term is overused, and I don’t always think it helps. In fact, I think it can often lead to infantilization. Not something I particularly relish. So, let’s call it a strength, and also let’s go further in suggesting that it’s a distinct advantage.
Storytelling - a series of patterns in autistic narrative processing
If you’re a business, a creator, a speaker, or a solo entrepreneur, then you’re likely to use storytelling as part of your marketing. Stories can provide an interesting background on a founder’s reason for starting a business or to clarify a nonprofit’s existence.
But one advantage an autistic person has when using storytelling as a marketing device is that they are better able to see recurring structures that others may often miss. They’ll see inconsistencies or actual consistency across time and act on them. They can spot gaps in stories, gaps that defy logic or leave the reader confused. Whether they’re writing their own stories or correcting or analysing someone else’s.
Autistic narrative processing - creating better narratives of our own
What we’re good at is creating systems and, most importantly, helping them make sense. We often see holes in others’ narratives as well as their own, capitalising on other people’s lack of consistency or gaps, either offering our own services to counteract these problems or providing better narratives of our own.
Narrative systems have a beginning, a middle, and an end…
Any story must have a narrative that makes sense from the beginning - the start, where we identify the key players and the problem, a middle where there’s disruption as a result of the problem that needs resolving, followed by a resolution. What is the cause of the problem, what is the effect this problem is having, and what are the consequences?
When we make these patterns clear, and this is especially important if you’re trying to make a point with your brand/tech/nonprofit, then the dividends, the rewards make it all worth it. They also reduce what is known as ‘cognitive load.’ This is the mental effort and working memory it takes to absorb new information. So, it needs to be tight, consistent, and follow a logical narrative pattern.
Autism and meaning-making - clarity, consistency, and clear communication
For me, ambiguity is a big no-no. If I’m working with someone, I need clarity, consistency, and clear communication. And that’s what you need in your storytelling, no one is going to get the point if you don’t write it in a structured way. And a structured way doesn’t mean over-simplification, it just means being clear and systematic.
Reducing the cognitive load - narrative systems and autism
If a good structure in a story needs a certain degree of cognitive load, then it needs a reliable structure to help reduce cognitive stress. Because I don’t deal well with ambiguity and mixed messages, I find unspoken motives, quick-changing emotional cues, and guesswork difficult.
When you can anchor a good structure, you can safely anticipate what’s going to happen next without feeling anxious. And instead of wasting time trying to decode what’s written, you can invest energy in the meaning and what it conveys to you.
Emotional processing and a system-based narrative
You might be forgiven for thinking a story that focuses so much on a system-based pattern that it's going to kill the vibe, but far from it. Patterns within your storytelling will help enable emotion, especially if you have good character types, conflict patterns, pacing, and familiar themes.
For a lot of people on the spectrum, emotions can be far more accessible when they’re structured (within a story), and from the pattern develops a pathway to feelings. This is especially true whether you’re writing for an autistic audience or for a more general audience, even. After all, many of your readers may be neurotypical, and a sound structure to a story with relatable patterns is something everyone appreciates.
A story that makes sense is more likely to be ethically sound - storytelling for neurodivergent audiences
A story that makes sense is a story that is more ethically sound. An inconsistent narrative can come across as manipulative and coercive. If characters start to behave more irrationally, if any rules change for no sensible reason, then that’s not going to come off well. This is especially important if you’re a nonprofit. It can even be destabilizing. At the end of the day, a good narrative system will respect the audience and reward their attention through to the end. If you want to build trust, then this is crucial. It is the foundation of all worthwhile engagement.
In messaging, you want clear repetition of themes, and if you’re using persuasion techniques, then logical progression through the narrative is important. Use cause and effect, and don’t emply emotional arcs. Use them in a structured way.
You’re aiming to increase accessibility, not lessen it
While many neurotypical audiences may often value ambiguity and working out the meaning themselves, neurodivergent people often don’t. Don’t be judgmental about this, because clarity is not a lack of intelligence or refinement, and it’s not an excuse for infantilizing your audience. It’s about respecting the different ways we take in stories. Having a system or recognizable patterns won’t make your story predictably boring. It will make it easier to navigate, and that facilitates action.
Clearer storytelling using systems and pattern recognition helps us all - both neurotypical and neurodivergent. Cut the jargon and the ambiguity and tell stories we can all enjoy - and act on.
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Get in touch with me here if you need help with either brand storytelling, voice, messaging, content strategy, SEO optimised blogs, or articles. I also provide web copy. You can email me here: gillianjonescopywriting@gmail.com
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