Author: Newsroom
BURBANK, CA – November 1, 2025 Animation writers looking to improve their careers – or break into showbiz in the first place – have a new way of opening doors, and possibly doing a little good while they are at it. The nonprofit organization The Autism Scene recently announced the AuSPEC AWARDS competition, opening for submissions on December 1, 2025. The competition invites writers to pick a current kids animated series, write an 11-minute episode of the show, and include a series regular “meaningfully interacting with an explicitly autistic character.” Category winners will get “meaningful new connections with current showrunners, managers and creative executives. And there will be a $5,000 Grand Prize!”
There aren’t very many autistic characters in kids pop culture, even though the CDC currently estimates that 1 in 31 kids is autistic. In the world of kids television animation, only a handful are explicitly autistic. The AuSPEC AWARDS are designed give a career boost to animation writers, as well as help get more autistic characters in kids pop culture, entertaining while also modeling for kids how to interact with their autistic peers.
“I had never seen on television a character that looked like my brother, or that explained autism the way that my brother had experienced it.” says Niya Wright, who created the nonspeaking autistic character Nassan for Netflix’s kids animated show Ada Twist, Scientist. “I knew it could be a risky pitch because there really just wasn’t a road map – there weren’t a lot of animated kids shows that had a character with autism that I could even reference.”
Nassan from Ada Twist, Scientist
Wright was willing to take a chance with her very first animated script. “I say ‘go big or go home.’ That’s how I was raised. I pitched this character not knowing what the reception was going to be. And I’ve got to tell you the response was overwhelmingly welcoming, it was amazing. The producers said, ‘This is a great idea, I love this story, let’s get going!’”
Niya Wright, creator of Nassan from Ada Twist Scientist
Introducing an autistic character in a good story got Wright from being a script coordinator to a television writer. “You can tell an interesting story, you can tell a fun story. Kids are smart.
And when you talk to them and treat them like what they are hearing is information they can comprehend and understand, you give them a better shot at growing into really compassionate humans.”
Kayla Cromer is an autistic performer best known for her work as Charlie on ABC’s The Good Doctor, and she also voiced Twyla Boogeyman, an autistic character on Nickelodeon’s animated hit Monster High. “With Twyla, they were very thorough with mentioning her different mannerisms within the script, how she stimmed on her bracelet, how her lines would be paused while she takes a breath to think on what she’s just heard. Seeing that come to life in animation was just amazing.”
Twyla Boogeyman from Monster High
The writers didn’t hesitate to work with Cromer to authentically portray her autism in their script. In Cromer’s experience, writers are willing to learn from talking with autistic people make their scripts more authentic. “I always make a point to address any problematic wording in a script. Like ‘every person with autism . . .’ No. Autism is a spectrum. Can we change it to ‘some people with autism.’ And they said no problem.”
Alfonso Camacho is a nonspeaking autistic author and advocate who is a contributor to The Autism Scene. Even when autistic people need more substantial support, Camacho reminds us that their rich personalities shine through with a little help and patience. “Some people have aides to help them with self-care. Some have aides to support communication. Some of us have aides that work as our communication and regulation partners. My sarcasm, my witty comebacks, my self-deprecating humor, it all relies on tone of voice, a good aide will supply that. Autistic characters, even the mute ones, all are multifaceted.”
Alfonso Camacho, author and autism activist
Entertainment attorney Britton Payne is running the AuSPEC AWARDS for The Autism Scene. “Because of my son’s autism, I’m on a bit of a mission to get the world to better understand and welcome our neurodivergent friends, colleagues and neighbors. Kids animation is a great space for modeling and spreading that message.”
Britton Payne of The Autism Scene
The AuSPEC AWARDS competition aims to show that autistic characters can and should be in all styles and genres of kids animation – just like in the real world. As Payne puts it, “Autistic people are in every part of life, and belong in every part of kids animation – comedy, adventure, mystery, sci-fi, history – all of it!”
The AuSPEC AWARDS competition is open for submissions at TheAutismScene.org from December 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026. A panel of experienced animation writers and executives will review the entries along with autism consultants. They will select the winners in several categories including funniest script, best nonspeaking character, best adventure script, spookiest script, best young kids script, cutest script, best unrepresented writer and several others. Each category winner will get a meeting with an active animation showrunner, creative executive, or animation manager who has read their script. And the grand prize winner will receive $5,000, along with bragging rights. The AuSPEC AWARDS ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on April 2, 2026, which is also World Autism Awareness Day.
“Don’t be afraid to write a story that includes someone with autism just because you don’t have autism, or because you don’t have someone in your family who does,” says Wright. “You can get the right support to make an authentic character. You can make an amazing story.”
The Autism Scene is a nonprofit group that advocates publicly and privately for the inclusion of more explicitly autistic characters in kids pop culture.
Contact: Britton Payne, Brit@TheAutismScene.org, (917) 561-3496