Norm and stigma: autism, ableist discourses and the school as a territory of symbolic transformation

Abstract

This article examines how ableist discourses operate in the production of stigma surrounding autism, analyzing them as symbolic devices that reduce identities and sustain social exclusion. The study aims to understand how recurrent statements in everyday social life function as social representations that undermine the dignity of autistic people, in order to reflect on the role of the school as a space capable of transforming such discourses into narratives of recognition. Methodologically, this is a qualitative, theoretical-analytical study grounded in critical discourse analysis of recurrent utterances found in social interactions and digital media, without systematic empirical data collection, and supported by interdisciplinary frameworks from social psychology, linguistics, sociology, philosophy, and theology. The analysis organizes ableist statements into six categories—denial of the condition, reduction of identity, infantilization, rigid stereotypes, romanticization, and spiritualization—highlighting how language becomes an instrument of exclusion. The discussion shows that such statements are not isolated, but rather constitute socially shared discursive practices that delegitimize autistic identity. At the same time, the study emphasizes the central role schools can play in dismantling symbolic violence: critical, dialogical, and inclusive pedagogical practices can reframe discourse, value diverse forms of communication, and affirm neurodiversity as a legitimate expression of the human condition, without overlooking tensions related to different levels of support and social inequalities. The article concludes that confronting ableism requires interventions in both discourse and institutional practices.