30/04/2026
Pause challenge: can you freeze the frame in time to read every myth and truth before Michael strikes it down? Seven autism misconceptions, seven truths.
Test your reflexes and learn something on the way through. Drop your score in the comments.
VD:
Michael stands in a living room with a sofa visible behind him, throwing a series of air kicks and punches choreographed in the style of a Street Fighter video game, accompanied by Street Fighter style music.
Blue caption boxes appear on screen showing common myths about autism, which Michael strikes down.
Yellow caption boxes then appear with the corrective truths. Seven myths are addressed in sequence. On the final correction, Michael falls playfully backwards onto the sofa.
The Street Fighter reference comes from his movement and the music: sharp, choreographed kicks and punches with the crisp, exaggerated rhythm of an arcade fighting game, set to a track that echoes the punchy, percussive style of Street Fighter soundtracks.
Each strike is timed to a caption appearing on screen. Blue caption boxes carry the myths, appearing with impact as Michael's kick or punch lands, then disappearing.
Yellow caption boxes then appear with the corrective truths.
Michael's expression stays focused and level throughout. The choreography and music carry the playfulness.
First, a blue caption with the myth that autistic honesty is brutal and rude is struck down, followed by a yellow caption explaining that autism often prioritises accuracy over social cushioning, and that saying what we believe to be true is not the same as intending harm.
Second, the myth that causing social misunderstanding means someone isn't trying is knocked away, followed by the truth that autistic people put in more conscious communication effort than is often visible.
Third, the myth that visible success means autism mustn't affect a person is struck down, followed by the truth that many autistic successes are harder fought, often at the cost of burnout, anxiety, or rigid coping systems.
Fourth, the myth that struggling socially means a person isn't interested in others is knocked back, followed by the truth that autistic social difficulty is often rooted in energy regulation and capacity, and that the right conditions and an exit option make a real difference.
Fifth, the myth that being able to do something sometimes means being able to do it all the time is struck through, followed by the truth that executive functioning challenges mean autistic people can be highly capable while still needing support, prioritisation, and individualised expectations.
Sixth, the myth that emotional or sensory issues are always visible, and don't exist if they aren't, is knocked down, followed by the truth that autism doesn't stop simply because it can't be perceived, and that its effects are often quiet, internal, mild, but constant.
Seventh and finally, the myth that autistic people have poor hand-eye coordination appears, and Michael throws a final strike. As the yellow correction caption appears, acknowledging that this is sometimes true but that everyone is different and that's no bad thing, Michael lets the momentum carry him backwards and falls playfully onto the sofa behind him, landing with a small grin.
