Abbott Elementary has the perfect opportunity to explore autistic-coded characters

Since its debut in 2021, Abbott Elementary has managed to tackle issues related to class, race, and even the complexity of charter schools’ influence on education—and all without sacrificing its commitment to character development and ability to find humor in the public-school system. The sitcom has even shown characters making accommodations for specific disabilities: In the season-two premiere, Jacob converses with a student in ASL and Mrs. Howard finagles an ADA-compliant solution for a wheelchair-using student to sit comfortably at a desk in her classroom. One thing the show hasn’t touched on, however, at least explicitly, is neurodiversity (you know, autism, ADHD, typical brains—all the brains). But with Gregory on the scene and a third season kicking off February 7 on ABC, the series has a perfect opportunity—even a responsibility—to explore diversity in human cognition. Why? Because our pal Gregory is autistic-coded.

There are threads online and YouTube videos suggesting that Gregory is autistic, and this isn’t even the first article to insist as much. I found this on Reddit, after noticing his fairly clear autistic traits in multiple episodes, compelling me to type “gregory abbott elementary autistic” into my browser to see if I was imagining things. Nope. The traits are there, and it has been pretty validating for many autistic viewers to behold. For one thing, he doesn’t like pizza, claims to only like five foods (one of which is plain-ass boiled chicken), and has aversions to slimy and textures and hot fruit (i.e. pie).

He also relies on analysis and over-preparation to understand the world and thinks in the most literal of terms, most noticeably when he’s planning out the school year with various charts and diagrams to come up with a way to implement the district’s every instructional mandate, neglecting the human element in all of his calculations. He has to come up with a way to do what the district wants, just like he has to step in and fix the garden when his colleagues aren’t caring for it properly, simply because he can’t tolerate things being done incorrectly when he knows there’s a “right” way. And he misses so many social cues, especially when it comes to Janine. She often has to help him, as she does when he can’t understand 1) the very need for classroom decor, and 2) that his students have been presenting him with adoring drawings of him all year. (He just can’t recognize the rudimentary figures as people.)

One distinct thing about Gregory’s portrayal is that while his autistic traits are sometimes played for laughs and can raise eyebrows among his colleagues, they are consistently met with compassion and support. Miss Howard steps in when he’s in chart-making mode to gently draw his focus to circumstances that might screw up his plans, and Janine walks him through the conventions of kid art when he can’t see himself in his students’ drawings (i.e. circles for heads, banana-looking fingers, etc.). They accommodate him, but he has also done an excellent job accommodating himself. He has been undeniably successful in his career aspirations. Let’s remember that his quest to become principal was only foiled by Ava blackmailing the superintendent. He was next in line for that job.

He is seen as a viable romantic prospect, too. Fans whole-heartedly champion his slow burn romance with Janine (who is herself a bit autistic-coded, but that’s a whole other piece). At every turn, Ava is quick to remind him how handsome she thinks he is. If Gregory was openly identified as autistic in this show, these details about him would powerfully counteract the stereotypes that exist of autistic people being incapable of working jobs that demand human interaction (especially ones that involve children) and unable to attract romantic partners. Some acknowledgment of him being #ActuallyAutistic would be a major representation win, especially considering Black children and adults are less likely to receive an accurate autism diagnosis.

And hey, considering the many other barriers to appropriate assessment (the thousands of dollars it costs, the wait lists, the lack of awareness in education that still persists, but was especially prevalent when Gregory was a child), a late diagnosis would make sense from a character standpoint. Plus, working in education, an environment that has a responsibility to identify and support autistic children, he is in an arguably perfect position to encounter some student who wins his heart, reflects his own traits back to him, and sparks that realization, through his assessment, that Gregory is autistic himself. You know, we have yet to see any speech-language pathologists (like me!), school psychologists, or any other members of the school-based assessment team represented in this show. This could be our time. (Not that I formally diagnose in my setting, but I sure as heck identify and accommodate “traits consistent with autism spectrum disorder” all freaking day.)

And that’s where the show’s responsibility to openly address autism comes in. It’s weird to think of a school setting where autism is never mentioned or considered, and yet so far Abbott Elementary has been that kind of school. But there’s opportunity in this. The show has now garnered critical acclaim and an ardent fanbase, enough to sustain what could be seen as a controversial swing like an autism storyline. What’s more, the series has already demonstrated a commitment to tangibly helping underfunded public schools by allocating a portion of its marketing budget toward various initiatives. So this is yet another way that it could be of service.

Autism is still so wildly misunderstood, even by some professionals who work in schools, despite our very best efforts. We have to stay on our game to be sure that kids are getting what they need from us as we learn more about how to support their unique brains (every brain). Of course not all teachers, or people who work in education, watch this show. Many avoid all media related to the school setting after work if they can (my own mom being one of them). But many others feel seen and validated by it. And if a tasteful, still-funny “very special episode” about a beloved character can reach them, or anyone capable of making a difference, it could lead to some important conversations and positive shifts in perspective that could reduce the stigma surrounding autism and change our culture for the better. And if the way they’ve characterized Gregory this far into the show’s run is any indication, it’s possible they’re already on their way to doing just that.

Season 3 of Abbot Elementary premieres February 7 on ABC, with episodes available next day on Hulu.